Woe is me!
by Peony-chan
Summary: The Inheritance Ceremony is about to start. Tsuna is about to reveal somethings that she doesn't tell to her familigia.   *the summary is not good and I didn't know how to describe it. Sorry!* UlquiorraxFem!Tsuna
1. Chapter 1

Hey! Sorry that I didn't update for a long time, but I hade trouble at school and I need to deal with it. Please don't throw tomatoes at me! (Peony-chan pleads with squeak.)

This is my crossover fic with Female Tsuna and Ulquiorra from Bleach. I got the inspiration from kikyokyoyahibari who writes a fantastic Bleachxhitman reborn crossover fic series.

**Prologue**

When Tsuna learned that she was to become a mafia Donna of the strongest mafia family, the Vongola. She mentally banged her head against her imaginary wall. Not because a person who grew up in normal and regular life would found it shocking that 1) You are to become the next successor to a criminal organization. 2) Your Great-great-great whatever many times grandfather, who was the founder, retired early and came to Japan and knocked up a local woman which leads to Tsuna's hellish, but somewhat comedic fate. Once Tsuna grasped the fact that she had no choice (more like forced), she screamed into her pillow with ferocity of frustration, curses and anger.

This is the reason why.

Tsuna (full name: Tsunayuki Bridgette Sawada) never talked about her previous job with her mother, Nana, who was rather carefree and a bit childish. In fact, she never mentions to her mother that she was once a substitute shinigami when she was ten years old. The only people that knew were Chad, Orihime, Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro and the rest of the people who she knew were involved with the living dead.

Hoping to get a break and enjoy a somewhat normal life from fighting in the Winter War and against the hollows in Karakura. Tsuna and Nana moved to Namimori when she was twelve years old. Tsuna, at first, furiously refused to move. But because it was Iemitsu who gave such a unclear reason to why Nana and Tsuna had to move to Namimori, they had no choice. Hugging all her friends (even Urahaha) from Karakura with tears of sadness, Tsuna promised to visit them whenever she got the chance. The only comfort she got from moving is that she might enjoy a normal life. But that ticket to the somewhat normal life flew away from Tsuna in a instant to the mocking breeze of Fate when Reborn came into the picture. Thus, her days training with the sadistic hitman tutor (who is just a baby) began.

Woe is her and she cursed Fate, Destiny, God or what higher being(s) that forced her into this path to become the next Vongola Decimo of the Vongola Familigia.

"This sucks!" Tsuna groaned to herself as she dodges another cannonball that was about to pummel her into the ground. She can imagine that Reborn is concocting another training exercise to make cry uncle.


	2. Chapter 2

**A word from Peony-chan: I wish I owned Hitman Reborn and Bleach. If I did, I would squeal over my favourite characters and bishes. And possibly die from brain overload from fangirlism.**

**Chapter 1: Shimon Middle School**

"I'm going to be late!" Tsuna semi-whispers to herself as she rushes around her room to collect her school stuff. Wearing the Namimori Middle School boys uniform and with her long, blonde hair whipping around her, Tsuna zipped up her school bag and rush downstairs.

"Tsuna what about your breakfast? You can't leave with a empty stomach." Nana exclaims, stirring her ladle in a pot at the stove. Not wanting a nag, Tsuna grabs a piece of toast and was about to dash to the front door when Nana spoke up again.

"Tsu-chan, your lunch." Nana holds up a bento lunch. Mentally grumbling to herself for almost forgetting her lunch, Tsuna took it and mumbled a quick thank you. Just as she was about to dash to the door again, Nana spoke up yet again.

"Tsu-chan, your hair." Nana smiles not phased or annoyed that Tsuna, who didn't noticed herself, that she still had her bed hair and that some strands were tousled up all over her head.

"Tsuna, as a young lady, at least have the decency to fix your appearance." Bianchi said, getting up from her chair at the breakfast table. Before Tsuna can escape, a delicate hand with manicured nails grabs her shoulder and guides her to an empty chair.

"Hahahaha! Tsuna's hair looks like a chicken slept in it!" Lambo guffaws before inhaling his bowl of rice.

"Not nice, Lambo!" I-pin says, defending her older sister.

Bianchi began brushing Tsuna's hair with a brush, straightening out the little knots and putting it in a loose ponytail at the base of her neck with a red scrunchie.

"A mafia boss must always look their best. Not appear as though they just got out of bed." Reborn said, sipping his tea.

"Shut up!" Tsuna's left eyebrow twitches at the hitman's remark.

"Now you look somewhat a proper girl." Bianchi announces, giving a nod of approval.

"Thanks Bianchi" Tsuna mumbles, not looking at the older girl.

"How exciting. There is going to be a new group of students transferring to you school today." Nana smiles, looking excited.

"What's a group of transfer students? Is it a kind of flavor?" Lambo asks, still stuffing food into his mouth.

"Lambo-kun, it's not food. Do you remember there was an earthquake around the world?" Tsuna twitches at the reminder. "They fear that another earthquake might hit their area and that it would be make it difficult for students to go to school safely. Since Namimori is free of earthquakes, they chose to transfer here." Nana explains to Lambo.

Drinking his miso soup, Lambo just says "Oh, okay." With his eyes showing that he wasn't listening.

"Lambo, if you're going to ask about something. Make sure you listen." Tsuna exclaims to the little cow boy and dashes out of the front door, shouting that she is leaving.

Halfway to school, Tsuna began walking at a normal pace and a look of relief etches on her face.

"Looks like I'll make it to school without being late." Tsuna thought with relief. Though, something caught her attention at the corner of her eye. Turning to the direction in curiosity, Tsuna notices a tall girl carrying a satchel in her left hand walking on the other side of the sidewalk with a shorter guy carrying a back pack walking behind her, his shoulders slouching and with his head down, keeping his face from view. They stood out to the rest of the other Namimori students because their uniforms were different.

"I haven't seen that uniform before. Can they be the new transfer students?" Tsuna wonders.

"Shimon Middle School."

"I remembered there were seven new transfers and that girl is really tall." Tsuna thought to herself. "Is she a third year?"

Suddenly, the tall girl gave a sharp glare to Tsuna at the corner of her eyes. Tsuna notices it and turned her head around and continues her way to school. Tsuna felt a familiar reiatsu coming from beside her. Continuing her walk to school, Tsuna did not look towards the baby hitman tutor beside her.

"Why are you following me to school, Reborn?"

"Because you are too relaxed these days and this lowers your guard." Reborn says to his student.

"My guard is not down." Tsuna defends herself. "But why are you following me? Usually you have something to say."

"Hmmm… Your right." Reborn takes out a piece of paper from his suit. "I received this dire message from the Ninth."

"From the Ninth? What is it" Tsuna asks, a worried look appeared in her eyes.

"It's the notice for the Inheritance Ceremony of the Vongola Family." Reborn shows the letter with the Vongola insignia to Tsuna. Tsuna stops in her track, a look of disbelief and shock on her face.

"You have to be kidding me?" Tsuna asks in a normal tone to Reborn.

"Of course not. This is the ceremony where you officially inherit the title as the Tenth Vongola Boss from the Ninth. Mafia families from around the world will be there." Reborn answers.

Biting her lower lip in frustration at the news, Tsuna gives Reborn a glare.

"And I remember telling you a thousand times. I do not want to become a mafia boss."

"Oh, and keep your Vongola ring on you at all times." Reborn states, appearing to not hear what Tsuna said about not wanting to be a boss.

"Grawr!"

"This is not something to be excited for Nuts!" Tsuna says, continuing her way to school and knowing that it would be pointless to talk to Reborn of not wanting to become a mafia boss. A heavy feeling of gloom forms in her chest.

As Tsuna and Reborn keep on to walking, they did not perceive that a twisted body, what appeared to be as a bird fell on the sidewalk behind them as they continued their way. The bird appeared to be alive, but featherless. Unexpectedly, the bird disintegrates.

At Namimori Middle School, class 2-A were waiting for homeroom to begin.

"Leave to me! If any of those transfer students dare to show disrespect to Jyuudaimehime, then as your right hand man, I'll show them whose boss!" Gokudera declares, clenching his fist together, a look of determination on his face to show he actually means it. But suddenly, an evil look etches on his face and a dark look appears in his eyes. "I can't wait."

"Gokudera-kun, you don't have to." Tsuna sighs as she leans back against her chair. But knowing it's futile. Once Hayato sets his mind on something (especially that involves her), nothing will change or deter his mind from it.

"I'm actually looking forward to meeting the transfer students." Takeshi exclaims, laughing at Gokudera's enthusiasm. Gokudera growls as Takeshi approaches Tsuna and Gokudera, his school bag and kendo stick bag.

Tsuna smiles at her Rain Guardian. "Good morning Yamamoto."

"There might be someone who likes baseball and wants to join the baseball club, right?" Takeshi asks, his grin never leaving his face.

Gokudera gives Takeshi an angry glare. "Do you think of anything else other than baseball, you baseball freak?"

Suddenly a cheerful voice rang out behind the three. "I'm excited too!" It was Kyoko with a sunny smile. "I hope we can make new friends."

Tsuna gives a smile back, but before she could say something to Kyoko, Hana Kurokawa steps out from behind Kyoko.

"I'm hoping those transfer students will be mature and not childish." Hana smirks and Tsuna just gives a grin to her in return.

"That is so typical of you, Hana." Tsuna comments at her classmate and Kyoko's friend.

The sliding door to 2-A classroom began opening and all the students rushed back to their desks. Their homeroom teacher, a balding middle age man, wearing a gym jumpsuit and a clip board at hand steps into the classroom.

"As you all know, there are seven students from Shimon Middle School arriving today to attend lessons here. Two of those students will join our class. Remember to be courteous." Looking at his clipboard, the teacher began reading the names of the transfer students out loud to the class. "Now, I'll have them introduce themselves. Come on in Kozato Enma and… shi…shi…to…kun?" The teacher frowns, having difficulty reading the second name.

However, a palm of a hand covered with light blue glove in front of the teachers face to gesture the teacher to move. The teacher moves out of the way and the figure came in. Everyone gasped either in shock or in surprise.

The person really stands out, making the teacher appear as wallpaper. She was wearing a bluish-silver body suit that clung to her body with a hoodie, rimmed with light blue fur over her head. A square patch of purple hair could be seen on her head and stood out from the blue colour of her hoodie. But it was the two clear inflatable rings around her body that even caught more attention from the class.

"My name is Shitt P. Call me Shittopi-chan!" The transfer student introduces herself, her hands on her hips.

"What!" The students and the teacher exclaims, either out loud or in their minds while many of them (it's really all of them) were trying to comprehend the new student's appearance.

"My talent is 'hakko!' Shitt P. says, introducing herself.

"Hakko! (eight)" A random student exclaims.

"Hakko! (radiation)" Another random student exclaims, his eyes wide.

"Hakko! (fermentation)" Gokudera thought, his left eye twitches at the new transfer student appearance.

But the female transfer student was not done introducing herself. "My favourite food is pi-pu, pu, pu, piiii…"

"Is that an accent?" One student says, still staring at Shitt P.

"It could be French…"

A look of realization slowly appears on Gokudera's face. "A signal…?"

Tsuna's face didn't show that she was weirded out by the new transfer student. Instead her face shows the expression of surprise and wonder. "Oh wow! She looks like Lady Gaga!" Tsuna thought.

On the other hand, her fellow classmates didn't have the same thoughts as Tsuna. Almost all of them were thinking how strange the new female transfer student, Shitt P. is.

Gokudera's expression is now not a look of realization, but a look of astonishment. "She's not human!" Gokudera exclaims to himself, quickly taking out his reading glasses, a pen and paper.

"She's not human… I know this! She emits signals, which could only mean…" Gokudera could feel excitement racing through his body and clenches his fist. "She's a U.M.A.!"

**(For those who don't know what a U.M.A is. It means Unidentified Mysterious Animal. Gokudera really loves paranormal animals.)**

Quickly writing down on the paper with his G-letters, Gokudera could see that his excitement is fogging up his glasses. "I must study her carefully! An incredible creature has come to Earth!"

While Gokudera is busy writing, the teacher cleared his throat. "Shitt P. Very well…" Turning to the other student. "You're up next."

The other transfer student was shorter than Shitt P. His red hair was disheveled and the class could see that his face is covered with small bruises and bandages. His eyes were averted away from the class and quietly say his name. "I'm Kozato… Enma."

The teacher frowns at the lack of introduction, not clearly hearing the boy's name. "Couldn't hear you there." Enma just barely moves his lips, but his name is still unheard. The teacher gave a stern look to him.

"Speak up once more."

But Enma didn't say anything, a gloomy look on his face.

The students quietly chattered among themselves about Enma.

"So gloomy."

"What's with that expression?"

"He's the type who gets teased a lot." Hana comments.

Tsuna's eyes were still on Enma. "Looks like he doesn't want to be here." Tsuna thought.

Namimori Middle School Disciplinary Office was the most feared places in the school. No one wants to be near it or enter or even want to breathe near it in fear that the head of the committee will come out if they make a single peep and deal with them with his famous quote: "I'll bite you to death."

However, today was different.

A sharp knock on the door and it was slid open.

"Excuse me! Are you the head of the Disciplinary Committee, Hibari Kyoya?"

Hibari was doing paperwork and look towards the door, his expression showing no surprise that someone entered his office. "Who are you?"

It was the tall transfer student that Tsuna saw on her way to school. Giving a neutral look to Hibari, she introduces herself.

"I'm Suzuki Adelheid. A third year student from Shimon Middle School. From today, this reception room belongs to the Liquidation Committee."

Hibari gives her a questioning look. "The Liquidation Committee?"

"If you resist, I'll have to act accordingly." Adelheid gives Hibari a narrow look.

"School is out. What a day." Tsuna thought, stretching her arms above her as she walks along the sidewalk to go home with Reborn. Takeshi and Gokudera were not with her as usual as they had prior occasions to attend to. Takeshi was at baseball practice and Gokudera, after profusely apologizing to her that he couldn't escort her home, had to go stock up on dynamite.

"Pretty interesting students we have. A gloomy one and an eccentric one." Tsuna said, remembering the new transfer students.

"Maybe she is really a U.M.A just like Gokudera says." Reborn remarks, Tsuna snorts at his statement. "She's definitely human. She just has her own style and quirks" Tsuna says to her tutor.

But there was loud shout ahead of them and interrupting their conservation. Tsuna and Reborn saw before them two punks wearing different school uniforms ganging up on the new transfer student Enma. One punk yanks Enma's pants off and another gave a hard kick to his stomach. Anger boils in Tsuna and without thinking, Tsuna runs up to the nearest punk gives a roundhouse kick to his head.

"What the fuck! Who do you think you are bitch?" The other punk yells, seeing that his companion was down on his knees and clutching his head in pain. He runs up to her and swings a fist towards Tsuna, but it didn't hit her as Tsuna side steps his punch as she punches him in the jaw. A crack could be heard when her fist connects to his face.

"Why should I answer to low life like you? Get the hell out of my sight!" Landing powerful kicks to their stomach, the two punks clutched their stomach in pain and left quickly, not giving a look back towards Tsuna.

Tsuna cracks her knuckles, but instantly remembered the beat up transfer student. She quickly turns around to see if he is alright.

"You really beat them up, Tsuna." Reborn comment.

Tsuna just scowls at Reborn. "Just bring out your first aid kit from where ever."

Turning her attention to Enma who was slowly getting up. "Are you okay?" Tsuna ask, giving a worry look to him.

Enma didn't reply, he just began to pick up his stuff and putting them back into his pack back from when the punks emptied it to find money.

Tsuna didn't say anything, knowing what the boy must be feeling right now. She got on her knees to help him pick up his stuff.

"Here." Tsuna passes a ripped up textbook to him.

Enma reaches over for and accidently brushes Tsuna's fingers when he grabs the textbook.

Instantaneously, both felt a flash going through them. Tsuna's Sky ring and Enma's ring, with a compass emblem, glowed faintly in resonance.

"What…" Tsuna exclaims quietly.

Enma quickly stood up and not saying anything to her, walks away from her while at the same time stumbling and trying to put his pants on.

Tsuna looks at her hand, her face showing bewilderment.

"What was that?" Tsuna ask out loud.

Not noticing that Reborn was behind her, he picks up a sheet of paper.

Reborn looks at the paper and sees that there was a symbol with four needles pointing at different directions on the front. "Who is he…" Reborn thought.

Hi! This is Peony-chan. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I just wanted to brief everyone over of the different things I'm putting into this fanfic.

Ichigo doesn't exist in this universe. It's Tsuna who takes his place and her Zanpakuto is Zangetsu, just like Ichigo.

"Woe is me!" Tsuna is different in personality, both mentally and physically, to Canon! Tsuna.

So I'll just give a brief bio of her.

Name: Tsunayuki Bridgette Sawada

Age: 14

Mother: Nana Sawada

Father: Iemitsu Sawada

School: Namimori Middle School

Occupation: Student at Namimori Middle School

Ex-substitue shinigami

Mafia boss in training

Appearance:

-Long straight blond hair that reaches above her knee. Not spiky, more like Nana's old long hair style.

-Big brown eyes

-Height 5'2

-Bust: not flat, around B32 (other fanfics I read describe their female Tsuna with either a too big or too flat chest. I decided to go in between.)

-Tsunayuki prefers the boy's uniform over the girl's uniform. The reason is because when she fights, she does not want to flash her underwear to people.

-Tsunayuki really has good fashion taste and does try different fashion trends to quell her interest and doesn't give much thought on how others think of her taste. That's why she didn't feel weird towards Shitt P. Though her taste in clothes are not as eccentric as Shitt P.

- She looks like Giotto, but as a shorter female with no spiky hair and does retain some looks from her mom.

Her feelings towards becoming the next boss of the Vongola Family are mixed. She doesn't want to become the next boss and prefers to have a somewhat normal life after the Winter War. But at the same time, she is glad she made new friends when Reborn began to tutor her since when she came to Namimori, everyone knew her as tomboy with a somewhat delinquent reputation since she easily beats up punks and gangs because they are the ones who pick fight on her first due to the fact she has blond hair. The only people she interacted with at school was Hibari who finds her interesting omnivore and Kyoko who is friendly to her.

See ya next time! Ciao!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2: The Transfer Students and a Visit from Old Friends**

Walking home after saving the quiet transfer student, Kozato Enma, from being beatened to a pulp by a couple of local punks, Tsuna was still wondering what has occurred when she felt a strange sensation after brushing her fingers against Enma's.

"First: Reborn announces about the Inheritance Ceremony. Second: new transfer students who have a lot of character and I had to save one of them from beating into nonetheless and he ran off before I could ask what happened. Third: Reborn tells me to return Kozato Enma's textbook to him and I 'don't know where he freaking lives. Oh, what a nice day." Tsuna mutters sarcastically, a look of irritation on her face. Looking at the beat up and torn textbook in her hand, the long hair girl sighs. "I'll give it back to him in class tomorrow."

Stuffing the beat up textbook into her school bag, Tsuna makes her way home and thinking about what latte she should make to relax herself.

**Namimori Baseball Field **

The Namimori Baseball Team were currently practicing. The Rain Guardian of the Vongola is busy practicing his pitching until his fellow teammate, Taniguchi, got hold of his attention.

"Hey, Yamamoto."

"What's up Taniguchi?" Takeshi asks, confused at his teammate who is looking uneasy.

Taniguchi shifts his head around and nudges towards the benches. "What do you think of him?"

Takeshi notices that Taniguchi is referring to a tall, buffed guy with a blonde pompadour hairstyle sitting on the bench with a kendo stick leaning against it. The guy has an expression of indifference on him.

"He sure looks old." Taniguchi comments. "He's one of the transfer students that signed up for our club."

"You mean our club?" Takeshi asks, enthusiasm creeping up on his face.

"Yeah. He's in my class and his name is Mizuno." Taniguchi answers.

"Why don't you let him join in on the practice?" Taniguchi pales, sweating a bit at the question.

" Well… come on. Just look at him. There's no denying that he'll cause trouble to our club."

Either he is too happy that a new member just joined the baseball club or that he has a short attention span. Takeshi made his way to the new transfer student who is still sitting at the bench. Not hearing Taniguchi shout to him in exasperation, Takeshi greets Mizuno with a bright smile.

"Hey! I heard you sign up for the team?" The smile still on his face, Takeshi introduces himself. "I'm Yamamoto Takeshi. Welcome to the club."

Mizuno's expression is still indifferent to the greeting, but showing that he acknowledge Takeshi, shifts his eyes to him.

"Do you know what position you want to play?" Takashi asks.

"… Third base or short stop." Mizuno answers in a low voice. "Actually pitcher."

Giving a cheerful laugh, Takeshi just gave a "Gotcha!"

**A Third Year Classroom**

A loud yell of aggravation echoes out of Classroom 3-A. If someone was to pass by, they would have been startled, but continue on their way once they realized that yell could come from only one person in 3-A.

"The problem is difficult to the extreme!" The Sun Guardian of the Vongola, Ryohei Sasagawa, yells. His face scrunching in confusion and concentration at the math problem that is spread out on his desk. His classmates flinches at his loud voice, but a guy with green hair, wearing a pair of glasses and a Shimon Middle School uniform looks up from his math problems and smirks.

"An idiot like yourself won't be able to solve it. No matter how much you try, Captain of the Boxing Club." The guy says to Ryohei, his voice laced with mockery.

Too focused on the math question, Ryohei began to sweat with worry. "But if I can't solve this, I can't do club activities to the extreme…"

Not looking at Ryohei, but focusing on his own work, the transfer student just raises a pair of boxing gloves towards Ryohei. "I admit I have to sympathize with you as a fellow lover of boxing. But problem at this level will never be solved by idiots."

'Snap!'

…

…

Ryohei's patience has just literally snapped.

"Agh!" Standing straight up with anger, Ryohei faces the other with a look of righteous anger, his fist raised before him.

"What's with you? Then wouldn't that make you stupid? You're being kept for extra lessons since you failed the test too!" Ryohei yells.

"What did you say?" The green hair student implies, raising his voice. Snapping his pencil in half, his face contorts with fury and annoyance.

"I'm not a genuine idiot like you! I'm an idiot that accepts the fact I'm an idiot!" Ryohei looks bewildered, realizing that this is the first time he sees this new face in the classroom

"Huh… Who are you?"

Not lowering his voice, the green hair student answers loudly, his face showing that he's not calming down.

"I've been here since homeroom! I'm the hope of the boxing world, Aoba Koyo!"

Ryohei's face twists into amusement then he lets out a loud laugh that was the same pitch as Koyo's yell.

"Bwahahahahah! Green leaves of spring and red leaves of autumn! That is the most contradictory name I ever heard!" Ryohei continues to laugh.

A random student in the class sweatdrops at Ryohei making fun at another student's name. "Geez.. He started making fun of names."

"They're fighting like kindergarteners." Another student states.

"I've been told that a million times since I was born! It's the same 'leaves' you idiot!"

Ryohei twitches at the idiot statement that is directed to him. Raising his fist in front of him, he argues back. "I'm no idiot! I'm Sasagawa Ryohei!"

Koyo raises his fist in return. "If you got something to say, put your gloves on and I'll meet you outside!"

"I'll take you on any day!"

The students in the supplementary class began to whisper among themselves and the teacher in charge began to feel a splitting headache coming.

Outside the 3-A classroom window, Reborn is hanging on a rope, his presence not noticed by the people inside. Looking at Ryohei and Koyo as they became more rile up with each other, Reborn confirms that he's the third year transfer student from Shimon and that he is fighting with Ryohei in an instant.

"Gokudera has shown interest in Shitt P. Yamamoto is on the same baseball team as Mizuno Kaoru and Tsuna saves Enma from being beaten by bullies." His face not changing as he listed of his find. "Seven transfer students and seven guardians."

Reborn takes out the piece of paper that Enma left accidently behind.

"Not to mention this letter." Reborn looks at the letter. "Looks like an investigation of Shimon Middle School is in order."

**At a Grocery Store somewhere Namimori**

Halfway across town, a tall figure wearing a male Shimon Middle School uniform with a fedora and a yellow shirt is about to exit the grocery store, his arms loaded with purchases. Glancing at a clock, he swore under his breath.

"Crap! So late already?" Shifting the purchases in his arms, he exits through the sliding doors. "School should be out. That Adelheid will wipe me out."

He was about to walk in a direction until suddenly and quietly, shifts back into the grocery store. His eyes not leaving the petite figure in front of him.

It was Dokuro Chrome.

She's carrying bath essentials in her arms and did not notice the figure from behind is observing her.

**Namimori Disciplinary Office **

Hibird gave a chirp and descends to land on top of Hibari's head.

"Liquidation Committee?"

"Yes. From now on, the order of this school will be protected not by the Disciplinary Committee of Namimori, but by the Liquidation Committee of Shimon." Adelheid answers.

Behind his desk, Hibari can tell that she wore an armband with the words "To Purge" in contrast to his and she is serious of what she says.

"Huh. Sounds interesting, but in order for that to happen, you need the approval of all of the committee members of the school." Hibari mentions.

"I've gotten approval already."

That caught more of Hibari's attention.

Taking out some pieces of paper from her skirt pocket, Adelheid shows him a picture of the committee members (who she had beaten and tied up) and the other with signatures of the committee members with their thumb prints.

"By force."

Hibari smirks in amusement. "Wao."

"Looks like you wouldn't give up if I rejected the proposal ." Hibari said, getting up from his chair.

"Of course." Adelheid replies, her facial appearance not changing. "I would use force to make you see it my way."

**With Tsuna**

While everyone was preoccupied with their own things, Tsuna arrives back at her house. Stepping through the front door and taking off her shoes, Tsuna announces her presence.

"I'm home."

"Tsu-chan is that you?" Nana appears from the kitchen, wearing an apron. "You have some guests over."

Tsuna perks up at the news. "Who?"

Nana just gives a smile. "It's Orihime-chan and Tatsuki-chan. They came all the way from Karakura to visit you. Such nice friends to make a long trip to see you, Tsu-chan. They're waiting for you at your room."

A wide smile spreads across Tsuna's face and without a second, she dashes upstairs to her room. Nana yells to her that she'll bring up tea and snacks in a bit.

Opening her bedroom door a little too harshly, Tsuna enters her room.

"Tsuna-chan!" A blanket of orange clouds Tsuna's sight before she feels a pair of thin arms encircle her neck and she falls on her back from the force.

"Geez… Orihime, get off her! You almost gave her a concussion." Tatsuki scolds from behind Orihime.

Tsuna just smiles and hugs Orihime in return, both of them still lying on the floor.

"It's good to see you again, Orihime."

Orihime quickly got off of Tsuna and helps her up. Dusting imaginary dust from her backside, Tsuna turns to Tatsuki.

Both of them just stare at each and without a beat, Tatsuki strides towards Tsuna and pulls back a fist and punch her in the shoulder.

"How are you?" Tatsuki grins at her friend. Tsuna grins back and punches Tatsuki in the shoulder too.

"Not bad."

They were interrupted with Nana coming in with tray of Japanese tea and cookies.

Five minutes later, once the three girl friends were sitting around Tsuna low table. They chatted while sipping on tea and munching on cookies.

"How are the others back at Karakura." Tsuna asks, after they chatted non-stop on sports, clothes, music, Tatsuki's upcoming karate competition and Orihime's new strawberry and egg stew recipe.

"Well, Ishida-kun and Sado-kun couldn't make it today because there was a disturbance in Karakura and they give their apologies for not able to visit." Orihime saids.

"Chad would apologize and Ishida would just scoff at just wanting to visit me." Tsuna smirks and lets out a small giggle.

"Mizuiro and Keigo can't come since they had other plans to do."

Tsuna smiles at herself. She didn't mind that four of her friends couldn't come since their lives and her life had become so busy after they entered middle school.

"You know, Tsuna. The reason we came to visit is to confirm with something." Tatsuki said, breaking Tsuna out of her thoughts.

Tsuna turns to Tatsuki, curious to know why her friends came to visit, especially on a school night.

Tatsuki gives Orihime a serious look before looking at Tsuna again.

"Tsuna… did you really died in the future?"

A look of shock appears on Tsuna's face. Looking at Tatsuki and then to Orihime, Tsuna knew what they mean.

"Did… did Uni sent you the memories from the future?"

Orihime nods with a forlorn look. Tatsuki's mouth appears grim.

Tsuna shifts her eyes downward, not looking at the other girls' eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you guys worried."

Remembering what happened in the future, battling against the Millifiore and trying to survive to return everything to normal. Tsuna remembers vividly the most of how devastated her friends were when they found out she was killed.

"That's another reason why the others didn't make it today. They're still trying to grasp the fact that you died in the future." Tatsuki mentions.

Tsuna still didn't look at her.

Tatsuki's left eyebrow twitches in annoyance and out of know where, she sucker punches Tsuna at the head.

"Aah… Tatusuki-chan, you shouldn't have done that." Orihime scolds Tatusuki.

Grasping her head in pain and after a few seconds, Tsuna's face is in Tatsuki's face. A vein can be seen pulsing on her head and a look of anger to go with it.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Tsuna yells.

"To get you to stop moping, idiot!" Tatsuki yells back.

"You didn't have to punch me!"

"Yes I did. And I just did it!"

Both girls gave heated glares at each other while Orihime appears in the fiery background looking small and wide eye.

Tsuna sat back down on her spot, her face looking solemn. "I'm sorry that I made you guys worried like that." Tsuna apologizes towards her friends.

Tatsuki's expression just turns to relief and tears began pouring out of Orihime's eyes. Giving a loud wail, Orihime sprang towards Tsuna and bear hugs her.

"It's okay! It's okay! We know you don't mean it Tsuna-chan! We're just glad you're okay!" Orihime cries, burying her face into Tsuna's shoulder. Tsuna just hugs in return.

Just seeing how her friends were saddened, Tatsuki just moves over to where the other two are and hugs them both. They sat there, comforting one another and until Orihime stops crying. Twenty minutes passes before all three of them let go of each other. Tsuna gets up from the floor to receive a box of tissue from her bedside. She places it in front of Orihime. Orihime just gives a wobbly smile and hiccups a thank you and wipes her eyes with a white sheet.

"What ever happened in the future won't happen again. I promise you that." Tsuna said.

"We know you the type to keep your promises, Tsuna." Tatsuki smiles at her.

"Yeah." Orihime agrees.

Tsuna grins at them.

"Enough of the sad talk! So tell me, anything new happening soon back at Karakura?" Tsuna asks.

"No. Everything is still the same. And Ishida-kun and Sado-kun are doing a great job in taking care of the hollows." Orihime said as she claps her hands together.

"Well, the other day. Keigo made a huge scene in gym. Man! You should have seen the look on the gym teacher's face. His head was about to blow!" Tatsuki mentions.

Tsuna laughs, knowing how her overly emotional friend is.

Their conversation continues until it is dark outside. Tsuna suggests the other two to stay over for the night and since it's not safe for two young girls to walk home in the dark.

After dinner and a bath, Tsuna kick the three kids out of her room and sets out futons for both Orihime and Tatsuki. Giving them spare pajamas to wear (Orihime was a little difficult to find due to her large bust), the girls settled down and start another chit chat session.

"So, the main character falls in love with her kidnapper. And just as they were getting to know each other more, her boyfriend founds out where the kidnapper's hideout is." Orihime said, her face looking giddy as she describes about a movie to the two.

"Fall in love, huh." Tsuna says, her eyes looking a little glassy as she began to think.

"Yup! Fall in love and in the most difficult and dramatic situation too."

"Geez! How can you watch these kinds of shows Orihime?" Tatsuki gives Orihime a confusing look. Despite that both of them have different hobbies and likes, those two have been best friends since elementary school.

"They're interesting. They also have a lot of stories with interesting characters. Right Tsuna-chan?" Orihime asks her friend who is sitting on her bed.

No answer.

"Tsuna-chan?" Orihime and Tatuski turn to their friend.

Tsuna didn't answer to them, a blank look on her face as she is in deep thought.

"Hey! Tsuna!" Tatsuki calls her in a louder voice.

Tsuna flinch, her attention back to reality.

"Oh… Sorry. Can you repeat that again Orihime." Tsuna ask, giving Orihime a sheepish grin.

"What were you thinking about Tsuna-chan?" Orihime tilts her head.

"Nothing really."

"Were you thinking about someone?"

Tsuna twitches at the question and hopes that the other two didn't notice her reaction. But they did.

Orihime gives a loud squeal while Tatsuki smirks in amusement.

"Who were you thinking about? Is it the two guys that always hang out with you? What were their names again?" Orihime is in her thinking pose.

"No no no. It's not them." Tsuna protests, but realizes that she made a little error to her sentence.

"So you were thinking of someone." Tatsuki grins, watching her friend squirm under her and Orihime's eyes.

"It's not what you guys are thinking about." Tsuna objects, a hint of red tingeing her cheeks. But both girls knew that Tsuna can't hide what she thought about to them.

Tsuna could feel her head heating up as she tries to convince her friends to talk another topic. But they pay no attention to her attempts and were still egging her of what or who was on her mind.

It is Orihime that made Tsuna look like a cherry. A very nice cherry.

"Is it Ulquiorra-san you were thinking about?"

Tsuna could feel her brain overload.

"GAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Without thinking, Tsuna grabs her pillow and flung it at Orihime. The pillow made a direct hit and Orihime fell on her back.

Silence.

Tatsuki gawks at Tsuna, not expecting at that reaction.

Tsuna huffs, her face still red as she slowly realizes what she just did. Before she could check to see if Orihime is okay and apologize for her actions, the fallen girl just abruptly stood up. A look of mischief on her face and in her hands, she held both her and Tsuna's pillow.

"Prepare yourself, Tsuna-chan?" Orihime gives a battle cry and flung both of the pillows at the same time. But her aim is off and they both hit Tatsuki.

Tatsuki's left eyebrow twitches in annoyance and she grabs her pillow and hurls it at Orihime.

Thus, for the next half hour, a pillow fight between the three occurs in Tsuna's room. Their loud yells and laughter resonating throughout the bedroom.

In the attic of the Sawada Residence, Reborn is looking over a book with his Leon magnifying glass. The attic was slightly furnished in what appears to be one of the secret bases of Reborn's with a sofa, an oil lamp and a low table that was piled with books.

"Found it." Adjusting the Leon magnifying glass a little more, Reborn continues to read his findings. "So this is Shimon…"

**Hey! This is Peony-chan!**

**How do you guys like the new chapter?**

**I'm following each chapter of the Inheritance Ceremony arc and adding my own ideas to it. **

**About Tsuna spacing out when Orihime talked, she was thinking of Ulquiorra. (Peony-chan giggles like a school girl.)**

**Please leave a review and I'm eternally grateful and I might make an Christmas omake story to "Woe is me."**

**Ciao!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3: Life becomes more stressful with a capital S.**

After dropping off Tatsuki and Orihime at the bus station early in the morning, Tsuna made her way to school. Last night was pretty eventful for the three girls. After their pillow fight, they just laughed and converse of how when they were younger, they would play numerous games until they were exhausted. Tsuna smiles wistfully as she remembers the time Keigo accidently broke a car window when they played softball in the park. They end up running away before the owner showed up and witness his baby's injury. However, a mass of red hair caught her attention from ahead of her and Tsuna quickens her pace.

"Good morning Enma-kun." Tsuna greets him, walking beside him.

"Morning." Enma greets back in a dull voice.

Tsuna snaps her finger, remembering what she was supposed to do yesterday. Unzipping her bag, she takes out the textbook and hands it to Enma. "You forgot this the other day. I hope your injuries aren't that bad."

Enma made a grab for the textbook, but Tsuna's hand twitches a bit and her fingers "accidently" brushes against Enma's finger tips. Giving a sheepish grin of apology to the boy, Enma stuffs his textbook back in his backpack and continues walking with Tsuna beside him.

"Nothing happened. Did I imagined that my Vongola ring lit up the other time?" Tsuna thought, feeling nothing unusual from her hand or a feeling from her ring.

They walk in silence for a few minutes, saying nothing to each other. However, a loud yell caught their attention and they turn to the source of the noise.

"Good morning, Juudaimehime!" Gokudera yells, running up to her.

"Good morning, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna greets back, but in a normal voice level.

As Gokudera came closer to her, his smile turn to suspicion when he notices that Enma is with her.

"Hm…He's the transfer student."

Before Gokudera reaches Tsuna, Enma turns around and began to run towards the school. Tsuna felt that she should have warned him that Gokudera is an okay guy to be around, despite the glare he has on face when he's around strangers.

The frown on Gokudera's face darkens more. "What's his problem? The hell he runs away like that for?" Gokudera growls at Enma's retreating form.

"It's because you're being scary." Tsuna thought, sighing at how Gokudera is dense sometimes.

Gokudera turns to Tsuna, giving her a concern look. "Are you alright, Juudaimehime?"

"I'm alright."

Gokudera's mouth almost twitches into a smile, glad that his boss is okay, but then he remembers an important thing that he was going to announce to Tsuna. His expression became serious.

" As you requested, I investigated about Shitt. P. as you ordered."

…

…

"Excuse me?"

But Gokudera continued to explain, not noticing the look of confusion on Tsuna's face.

"My intuition from long before and now tells me that she is an alien." Gokudera announce his finding.

"He's so into this that he's overlooking the obvious truth." Tsuna twitches at the Storm Guardian's news.

Suddenly, a loud call caught their attention. They both turn to the source of it. The sight is something that really stands out of surrounding. Shitt. P is riding on her inflatable rings with wheels in her hands and on her feet to move the contraption while "Bafuun!" yells came from her .

Gokudera and Tsuna stared in curiosity at the site before them as Shitt. P continues her way to school and lets out more of her strange calls.

"I like her shoes." Tsuna said as a small grin appeared on her face. Not fazed at what just passed them. She had seen strange things before when she was young and they don't surprise her as much when she had gotten older.

Gokudera rushes pass her, but turns to Tsuna. "She might be sending a message to her planet! I'm going to follow her a bit, Juudaimehime!" The boy who loves the unusual quickly follows Shitt. P from behind and kept his distance to hide his presence.

Tsuna stares at her friend and then shakes her head in disbelief. "You're reckless, but having a lot of fun Gokudera." Tsuna continued her way to school.

Tsuna sees the school gate and quicken her pace until she notices that there is an crowd in the school yard. Quickening her pace, Tsuna's curiosity got the hold of her.

"What's with the crowd?" Tsuna wonders. People around her began whispering and pointing towards the school. Tsuna turn towards the school and her eyes widen.

A black huge banner with two words was hanging on the right wing of the school.

"This looks too familiar." Tsuna twitches at the unexpected display. "Korekiyo…"

"Shukusei." A voice corrects her and Tsuna turns around.

"Enma-kun!" Tsuna exclaims, surprised that she didn't notice the boy beside her.

Not looking at Tsuna, Enma continues to talk. "It's Adelheid's Liquidation Committee."

"Adelheid?" Tsuna cocks her head, not recognizing the name.

Enma continues. "Like me, she's a transfer student. A third year. She manages our school disciplinary committee. The president of the Liquidation Committee."

"Sounds like another Hibari." Tsuna said, but a thought came to her. "Is it possible for another Hibari to exist?"

"Look at the rooftop. There's someone there!" A student yells and everyone in the crowd looks up.

Tsuna looks up and instantly recognizes one of the people. "Hibari-san."

"Adelheid." Enma said, recognizing the figure across from Hibari.

"Adelheid is that tall girl?" Tsuna realizes that she saw the girl while walking to school yesterday.

"Adelheid plans to knock that guy out." Enma declares, still staring at the girl from the roof.

Hearing Enma state that, Tsuna became interested. "This I have to see." Tsuna said and rushes to the closest stairs to the school roof with Enma closely following behind her.

**Namimori Middle School roof**

Both Hibari and Adelheid were having a standoff and none taking their eyes off each other.

"Looks like you're ready to fight." Adelheid said her form composed and straight.

Giving her a cool look, Hibari answers. "Of course. Your actions are intolerable."

Raising a tonfa in front of him, Adelheid, in shock, felt a rush of power coming from Hibari.

Slamming the door to the roof with a lot of force that it bounces off the wall, Tsuna and Enma made their way to where the two contenders are. The sound of the door hitting the wall caught the attention of others that were there before Tsuna and Enma.

"Tsuna!"

"Juudaimehime!"

"Yamamoto and Gokudera… you're here too?" Tsuna asks, but the tall imposing person beside Takeshi caught her attention.

Giving a quick hello, Tsuna turns to Takeshi with a look of "Who is this?"

"You know, this guy is one of the transfer kids who joined the baseball club. He's Mizuno Kaoru." Takeshi explains with a grin.

"He's tall for a middle school kid." Tsuna thought.

"What are you doing, Hibari?" Ryohei yells from behind Tsuna. Behind him, Tsuna could see two other people she never saw before, but they wore the Shimon Middle School uniform.

"Show who's boss?" Koyo yells to Adelheid.

"Looks like you got yourself in trouble again, Adelheid." A large guy with two large lips and a bulbous nose commented, looking towards where the two committee leaders were.

The two Shimon Middle School guys greeted Enma and he greets back. Tsuna learns that the glasses guy with green hair is Koyo and the large guy is Rauji.

"Bafuun!" A voice calls from above. Shitt P. appears, floating on her inflatable rings.

"All of the seven transfer students are here. Do they know each other?" Tsuna thought, suspicious that all seven students were on the rooftop and that this does not seem to be coincidence.

"It's starting!" Takeshi yells.

Turning to the two committee leaders, Tsuna decides to confirm her suspicions after the fight.

Running towards Hibari, Adelheid takes out something from under her skirt and revealed it to be a pair of metal fans.

"Be purified."

She begins slashing at Hibari, her movements fast but Hibari dodges the attacks.

A look of amazement appears on Enma's face. "He's dodging them."

Hibari began to feel a bit annoyed. "That's another violation. I'm the only one who can bring weapons to school."

Blood began leaking out of Koyo's nose, but he was too excited to notice. "For that guy not to waver even when Adelheid's beautiful underwear is showing… what a guy!"

"What a pervert!" Tsuna shifts a little further from the bloody nose student, but can't help notice that the blood matches along with his green hair.

Adelheid continues to slash while Hibari continues to dodge and none showing that they were going to yield to the other

"Naïve." Adelheid utters and shifts her footing. Without a beat, Adelheid move her body into a hand stand and gives a swift kick to Hibari's chin.

A flicker caught Tsuna's eyes.

"Were those flames that Adelheid is using?" Tsuna thought and frowns. "It looks a little different."

Hibari grits his teeth at the contact but quickly recovers and slams a tonfa into Adelheid.

The tonfa hits her and pushes her over the fence. The Liquidation Committee leader recovers from the hit and lands on the heels of stilettos, crouching down to stop herself. A drop of blood slid down at the corner of her mouth.

"What happened?" Koyo yells after witnessing that Adelheid was pushed back in the fight.

Rauji looked concern for his fellow classmate.

Adelheid frowns, wiping the blood off. "So you've finally getting serious."

"Yeah. I will bite you to death next." Hibari grips both of his tonfas in his hands in response.

"They look really serious. But it's amazing that the girl was able to land a hit on the most fearsome person in Namimori." Tsuna thought but flinches. Quickly sensing the familiar reiatsu behind her, Tsuna dodges to her left.

"Your hyper intuition is as good as ever." Reborn states, jumping down where Tsuna stood. He was not wearing his regular suit and fedora, but a Tarzan costume. "But you have to stop them. It's the boss's job to stop the family rambles."

Tsuna gives Reborn an incredulous look. "No thank you. I rather see the outcome of this fight."

Reborn frowns at his student and Leon morphs into a green gun in his hand. Pointing at Tsuna, Reborn shoots out many bullets and directs her into the fight while Tsuna is busy dodging.

"Stupid baby!" Tsuna thought, dodging the bullets with ease, but realized what Reborn was actually doing. Tsuna was a second away of being hit by both of the fighters' weapons as they were about to make contact to her instead of each other. In reflex, she spins on her heel and roundhouse kicks both leaders at the same time in the shoulders with both of her feet. Not enough to hurt them, but enough to push them back.

Both Hibari and Adelheid pull back their weapons and Tsuna lands between them, crouching down.

"What are you doing?" Hibari questions the girl with a glare.

Adelheid frowns at the girl who disrupts her fight against the disciplinary leader.

Letting out a breath of relief, Tsuna stood up and furiously turns to Reborn with anger in her eyes.

"Why did you want me to stop the fight?"

Reborn has change into his usual attire. "It's your job as the boss to stop these meaningless fights." Tsuna seethes her teeth at her tutor.

"One day, I might actually poke a sword through that hug head of his!" Chibi Tsuna screams in Tsuna's head, punching the dark walls around her.

The transfer students (excluding Adelheid) gawked at Reborn and not believing that a baby spoke so well.

"This doesn't involve me and this is just another school fight." Tsuna retorts.

Taking his fedora out of nowhere, Reborn slips it on his head. "It has everything to do with you. They are guests."

The Decimo Vongola Guardians were confused at Reborn's words, but Tsuna realizes what he means and a look of annoyance can be seen in her eyes.

"They belong to the Shimon Family." Reborn declares. "They are a mafia family that's been invited to the Inheritance Ceremony."

"What!" Gokudera and Ryohei yelled in shock.

"Wow!" Takeshi exclaims, surprised.

"Oh great." Tsuna mentally moans.

The Shimon Family did not react to the yells and appear neutral in expression.

"The connection between the Shimon and the Vongola Family dates back to very old times. They had known each other long before the time of Primo." Reborn explains and crosses his arms. "Though now that they're such weak and small family, I never heard of them before." Reborn further explains and some of the Shimon Family members twitch at the hitman tutor's words.

"You have guts to say that you infant!" Koyo yells, irritated at Reborn's comment. "Haven't you heard of sugar coating talk?"

Reborn just give Koyo a bored stare. "Don't think I have."

"What!" Koyo became more irritated. "We came all the way here because we were invited to the Inheritance Ceremony!"

Ryohei, Gokudera and Takeshi were stunned at Koyo's news. Hibari just appeared uninterested.

"But don't get in over your heads. The reason we transferred is because of the earthquakes." Adelheid explains. "And Namimori was convenient since we received the invitations. In other words, we'll continue attend school without any interference."

"Hey, wait a second. I'm confused." Takeshi scratches his cheek in bewilderment.

Gokudera turns to Tsuna, his face showing confusion and shock. "Inheritance Ceremony? What does this mean, Juudaimehime?"

Tsuna sighs, feeling a migraine forming in her head. "It's obvious what it means. Explain it to them Reborn."

Reborn begins explaining what the Inheritance Ceremony is, when will it begin and naming off some the mafia family that were invited. When he mentions the Giegue Family, Gokudera shivers at the name and knowing the fearsome reputation the mafia family from Russia have.

Just when Reborn finishes the explanation, a teacher with a kendo stick barges through the doorway.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" The teacher yells, waving the kendo stick.

Reborn quickly leaves with his Leon umbrella, giving a grin to the others. "See ya."

"Homeroom is about to start! Get to your classes!" The Shimon and Namimori students left the rooftop and head to their respective classrooms.

**After School**

Wandering around town and left to her own thoughts, an internal conflict was going through Tsuna's head. Letting her feat take her anywhere, Tsuna ignores her surrounding until she found herself at the Namimori Shrine.

"This is going too fast." Tsuna thought, sitting down on an empty bench. Running a hand through her hair in frustration, Tsuna lets out a sigh of tiredness.

"When I came to Namimori, I hoped for a normal life. Then I found myself as a mafia boss in training." Tsuna looks at the sky and spots a couple of sparrows flying above the shrine. "I don't care about power or wealth. I wish I was like those sparrows, Free and unrestrained and just enjoy life with my friends."

Just as Tsuna is about to stand up, she senses a familiar presence nearby. Turning to her right, Tsuna spots a dark figure lying across a bench a couple of meters away from her.

"Enma-kun?" Tsuna calls out.

The body shifts and Tsuna could tell that the boy has a bloody nose. Tsuna makes her way to the red-hair boy and quickly pulls a handkerchief from her pocket.

"Are you okay? Did someone beat you up again?" Tsuna asks in concern, pushing her hanky to the boy's nose. Enma held some tissue to his left eye, suggesting that he was injured there earlier. Adjusting the hanky, Enma began to talk.

"When humans have power, they use it rashly. The mafia school bullies… they're all alike." Enma says, not looking at Tsuna.

"There are days when I just want to run away."

A look of sympathy spreads across Tsuna's face, understanding what the boy is saying.

"I understand what you mean. But running away doesn't always solve anything." Tsuna says.

Enma doesn't reply, but sits up. Adjusting his back pack, he begins to leave.

"Bye."

Tsuna watches as Enma walks away and repeats what he said to her.

"Running away, huh. Situations you're in just catch up to you again." Tsuna thought, but snaps her head up in alert and moves aside. A tennis ball bounces off the ground where she just stood. But another tennis ball hits Enma on the head and more blood squirts out of his nose.

"I won't forgive you." A sing song voice yells at Tsuna and Enma.

A top of the shrine, Reborn was wearing a female tennis outfit with a tennis rack in one hand and a tennis ball in another.

"If you run away, I'll smash you with an ace."

"Reborn, don't go around smashing balls at people." Tsuna yells in indignation and Enma rubs the sore spot on his head.

Changing out of his outfit to his usual attire, Reborn leaps down from the top of the shrine.

"When two idiots come together, they sure come up with stupid things. Also, consider the Ninth's feelings." Reborn says.

Tsuna's left eye twitches at Reborn for his accusing statement. "Just to let you know, I wasn't planning to run away."

Ignoring her remark, Reborn continue to talk. "For the sake of this ceremony, the Ninth has sent out heartfelt letters to all the mafia families that are connected with the Vongola. No matter how weak or small they are." Giving a grin to Tsuna, he crosses his arms. "He was very pleased to know that one of those families went as far as to transfer for the ceremony. He thought you could become good friends considering you're all around the same age."

"Good… friends?" Tsuna said, something out of the blue that surprised her.

Reborn doesn't answer and finishes what he is going to say. "He also said that he expects the Vongola Family to take care of the Shimon Family, since they are extremely small and weak."

"You're being rude, Reborn." Tsuna chides her tutor.

Reborn ignores her scolding. "Of course, there are others out there that aren't in favour of the Vongola becoming powerful. I expect that there will be mafia groups that will try to boycott the ceremony. After all, the Ninth did write in his letter that he caught wind of the opposing groups that are making their way to Japan to interfere with the ceremony."

"Why didn't you say that way earlier?" Tsuna yells, feeling the blood rush to head with more stress. Before she could yell at Reborn more, a loud thump echoes through the shrine area. Tsuna and Reborn quickly turn their attention to it.

Out of nowhere, a large chain like spear was heading towards them. Reborn kicks Enma away and Tsuna dodges. The weapon crashes into the steps of the shrine, splinters of wood sailing in every direction. Reborn and Enma landed near a clump of trees while Tsuna crouches down and presses herself against part of the shrine that wasn't demolished from the attack to hide her presence.

"Arrived already have they? They come to interfere with the Inheritance Ceremony." Reborn states staring at where the steps of the shrine used to be. Enma stared at where the weapon almost hit them with wide eyes.

"Isn't that obvious!" Tsuna yells but stiffens, feeling a presence above her. Looking up, she sees a huge deformed being that was staring down at her. Tsuna grimaces, but notices the flames emitting from the side of the beings head. "Those are cloud flames!"

The huge figure gives a roar of fury and the weapon that was aimed at the three early is attached to his left arm. Despite his size, he aimed the weapon at Tsuna at great speed and smashes the place where Tsuna is and destroying the whole shrine in the process.

"Looks like he's using cloud flames to magnify himself, but it's clear he's a hired assassin." Reborn observes from a tree branch and clutching Enma by the collar of his shirt who is hanging below him.

"Don't think of losing to him, Tsuna. Or else you won't last a week before the ceremony." Reborn grins.

The assassin on all four of his limbs searched frantically for the body of his hit with dust in the air. Suddenly, a plank of wood drops on top of the assasin's head. Quickly looking up, he sees Tsuna standing on a tree branch above him. A frown marred her face and Tsuna shifts her footing.

Reborn stares at his student, ignoring Enma, struggling with the collar of his shirt that is pressed tightly to his neck. "You need to show him the new ring and the power you had attained in the future." Reborn thought.

"You're a nuisance." Tsuna narrows her eyes at the assassin and jumps.

**Hi! Peony-chan here.**

**I can't believe it. Four chapters in one week. My fingers are getting really bruised from typing, but my brain is scrambling with a lot of ideas for this fanfic. **

**I hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4: Urgent Call and a Capital T added to the "Stress"**

Tsuna jumps off the branch, but disappears with a whoosh. The assassin, confused at seeing the girl disappears, frantically looks around. Before he could move a centimeter from his spot, his had painfully connects to the ground and the force creates a small crater. The top of his head was bleeding and a small stream of blood flows down the front of his face as a reddish bump was forming in that area.

Jumping off the branch, Tsuna shunpo to confuse her enemy and delivers a swift axe kick to his head. Using the force when her left foot connects with the assassin's head, Tsuna propels herself up in the air with a somersault and lands a meter away from the assassin. The assassin groans in pain and slowly gets up.

"Huh. You survived my kick. Not a lot of people could maintain their conscious after I give them a kick to the head." Tsuna comments, placing her hands on her hips in a mocking manner.

Rage flows through the assassin and he delivers an attack at Tsuna. It hits her and the ground from where she stood shatters from the impact with dust flying in the air. The assassin lifts up his weapon and expects to see a mangled corpse, but sees nothing. Suddenly, he howls in pain and lands in a heap on his right side where his weapon was attached to his hand.

Tsuna shunpo so fast to dodge the attack that she left an after image of herself. While the assassin was distracted, she swings her right leg and sends a powerful angle kick to the assassin's right arm. A crack could be heard and Tsuna knew that she had broken his humerus.

Pain flow through the assassin's right arm, but he was not giving up. Standing up, his right arm was hanging limply at his side. He's was about to use his left arm to swing a punch where he thought Tsuna was, a look of menace and desperation decorating his face and stops abruptly at midway. She wasn't there.

Suddenly he heard a low growl from above and looks up. The assassin sees a very bright cat with a wavy mane. It was Nuts.

"I'm over here." A feminine voice calls out to him. The assassin's eyes widen in surprise. Tsuna was on top of his head and he didn't notice. But it was more that he didn't feel her presence from where she was standing.

"You lose." Tsuna utters her last words to the broken assassin and could feel the Sky flame and reiatsu flow through her.

Suddenly, the ring inside Enma's shirt glowed brightly at the same time when the two energies flowed through Tsuna.

Reborn noticed the glow and could feel some kind of force from it.

Without any hesitation, Tsuna delivers a great stomp to the assassin's head. Not enough to kill him, but enough to make him fall unconscious from the pain. The assassin falls down in an ungraceful heap, his body in shambles from being knocked out.

Tsuna jumps off the assassin before his body falls down and lands a few meters away from the body.

"Not so tough, huh." Tsuna said, brushing imaginary dirt from her clothes and not giving a glance at the large body.

The assassin's body began to change and becomes the size of a regular person with a normal appearance. Reborn jumps off the branch and drops Enma on the ground. Making his way to the fallen assassin, Reborn stood right beside him and yanks his shirt open.

"This is the tattoo of the Pesca Family. Looks like he was in 'hyper mode' thanks to an altered version of the Dying Will Bullet. They're not even worth our time." Reborn states and release the material in his hand.

"An altered Dying Will Bullet?" Tsuna ask as she tilts her head in confusion, hearing this information for the first time.

"It's new." Reborn turns to Tsuna. "You get the idea that things will be hectic before the ceremony, right?"

"If this is what I get, then I rather refuse to participate in the ceremony than spend a week fighting off people who want to kill me." Tsuna grumbles in annoyance and anger.

"You're actually pretty strong." A voice broke Tsuna out of her exasperated mood. Tsuna perks up and turns to Enma.

"Enma-kun!" Tsuna exclaims

"You were really fast." Enma said with amazement in his eyes.

"No, it was nothing special." Tsuna protests. "I'm not as fast as Yoruichi-san though." Tsuna mentally notes herself and remembers the times that ex-captain of the Second Squad of the Gotei 13 and the Special Forces and beating Tsuna in races where she can't seem to win.

Enma crouches down on one knee sticks a hand out to Nuts. Nuts, who is rather cowardly, was nervous in front of Enma. Nuts hesitantly sniff Enma's hand and after a minute, rub his head against Enma's hand. Enma smiles at Nuts, pleased to know that the cat wasn't scared of him now.

Tsuna sighs in relief, glad that Enma was distracted with Nuts as the two got to know more of each other. "Nuts is sure being friendly." Tsuna thought, watching the two before her interacting with one another, a small smile graces her face.

Behind Tsuna, Reborn looks at Enma with a bit of glint in his eyes from suspicion.

"What was that?" Reborn thought. "I sensed something from Enma when Tsuna delivered her final attack. I never felt nothing like it before."

**Next day at School**

"What!" A yell resonates throughout the Namimori Middle School.

Gokudera was stunned. "Juudaimehime was attacked by other mafia…" The words died from Gokudera's lips, too angry and shock that his boss was almost killed. He grits his teeth and a dark look appears on his face.

"There is no time to lose. Call all the Vongola Guardians together?" Gokudera declares, making a fist with determination and anger coursing through him.

Looking amused, Reborn smiles at Gokudera. " You're sure worked up."

"Of course I am! I'm the boss's right hand man!" Gokudera announces, his expression not changing.

"Let's gather the Shimon Family as well!" Gokudera said as he begins to walk down the school hallway. "It'll be a waste not to make use of them!"

Reborn grin just grew when he mentions the Shimon Family.

After walking down the hallway a bit, Gokudera spots a familiar figure of a red head.

Recognizing him, Gokudera picks up the pace and jogs up to Enma. "Perfect timing! Transfer student!" Gokudera calls up.

Enma hears Gokudera calling him. Before he could turn to face the Storm Guardian, he feels a harsh yank on his uniform jacket and was callously shaken like a rag doll.

"I've got a job for you!" Gokudera semi-yells, not noticing the choked look on Enma's face.

**Namimori Grocery Store**

With a shopping basket hanging from her arm, Chrome walks down the aisle of the candy confectionary section and picks up and placing chocolate treats in her basket. Distracted with shopping, Chrome didn't sense that someone was following her.

Peeking from behind a shelf, Katou Julie watches as Chrome does her shopping.

After Chrome bought her treats, she leaves the store and still unaware that someone was spying on her.

Julie follows Chrome until she leaves the store. Once he was outside, he watches in disbelief as the girl walks away, but still keeps her in his sight.

"No way! She's only buying chocolate snacks again?" Julie said. Suddenly his cell begins ringing. Taking out the small electronic, Julie flips it open and answers.

"Hello? Oh, Enma." Julie said, recognizing the voice on the other side of the line.

After Enma explains Julie about the meeting, a look of disinterest etches the man's face. "Huh? A gathering? A restaurant?"

Keeping his eyes on Chrome who was a few meters away, Julie continues to talk to Enma. "Is everyone coming? What the heck? What a pain the the ass. I'll pass." Julie said.

Still keeping his eyes on Chrome, Julie mentions to Enma that he is in the middle of stalking someone and that Enma passes his greetings to Adelheid's left thigh. Flipping his phone closed, two girls wearing stylish, but casual clothes walk past Julie. They caught the man's attention and his eyes follow them with interest. With sudden realization, he quickly remembers his previous task.

"No, no. Where did that young eye patch girl go?"

**Nammy's Restaurant**

A yell of "What the hell!" went through the restaurant

Patrons and employees nervously began whispering among eachother, their eyes directed at the table near the window that was seated with middle year students.

Between Ryohei and Takeshi, Gokudera was standing up and an apparent look of annoyance on his face. "Why isn't every one of the Vongola and Shimon not here?"

Takeshi smiles nervously and gestures his friend to sit back down. Gokudera sits down and turns to the Shimon Family with a questioning look.

The Rain Guardian decides to speak up first. "Hibari-san doesn't like crowds and Lambo went out to play. We called Chrome from Kokuyou Land, but Jyoushima Ken hung up on us. Tsuna has to stay behind because it's her turn with others with clean up duty."

"We tried to call out all of our members too. But Katou Julie is busy right now and Shitt P. is busy meditating." Adelheid said, sitting between Enma and Koyo with Rauji and Kaoru beside him.

"What! Meditating? Her?" Gokudera exclaims in surprise and quickly takes out his notebook and pen. Scribbling down the information, Gokudera analyzes his finding. "She she communicates with the depths of the Earth around this time of day."

Takeshi and Ryohei just stared at their friend.

Clearing his throat, Takeshi distracts Gokudera from his notebook. "Hey, Gokudera… Didn't you have something to say to us all?"

Remembering what the meeting was about, Gokudera shuts his notebook. "Yes!" Putting on a serious face, he begins to talk.

"Yesterday, Juudaimehime was attacked by some mafia punks who want to interfere with the Inheritance Ceremony." Gokudera said and continues to explain. "Theirs is no guarantee that it won't happen again."

"That's where the Vongola and the Shimon come in together and protect the boss along with this area!" Gokudera declares

"What?" Koyo shouts with disbelief. No one said anything and Gokudera takes the chance to continue to talk.

"I discovered that both families' members area of expertise are well divided. So we should form teams between members that share the areas of expertise, in order to protect the boss." Gokudera holds up a piece of paper with information written on it.

Everyone could see that they were divided into teams and assigned a specific area to protect it.

Third year building: Hibari Kyouya, Suzuki Adelheid, Sasagawa Ryohei and Aoba Koyo.

The sports field: Yamamoto Takeshi and Mizuno Kaoru.

Namimori Park: Lambo and Ooyama Rauji.

Other areas near Kokuyou: Dokuro Chrome and Katou Julie.

Classroom 2-A: Gokudera Hayato, Shitt P. and Kozato Enma.

"You really thought this out thoroughly. You're worked up." Ryohei comments, impressed at the energy that Gokudera was putting in protecting Tsuna.

Placing his teacup on the saucer, Koyo gives Gokudera a look, feeling slightly annoyed and disinterred.

"Honestly, in the end, this is all just a bunch of nonsense. Why do we, as guests, have to take part in this?"

"What?" Gokudera said, glaring at the green hair boy.

"You…" Ryohei growls, trying to hold in his anger at the other's rude remark.

Standing up with a look of fury, Gokudera's glare escalates. "Families underneath the Vongola should cooperate. That's common sense!"

Anger flashes through Koyo from Gokudera's statement and he stands up abruptly. "Whoever said we were beneath you? At least call us equals!" Koyo said, gritting his teeth in infuriation. "You're really a bunch of idiots!"

"What did you say?" Ryohei yells.

"Desist, Koyo." Adelheid orders, not looking at him.

Koyo sits back down at the order, but this act doesn't escape from the Vongola's attention.

Gokudera flinch, his eyes narrowed when the other boy sat down without an argument. "So, she's the leader." Gokudera thought.

A small frown on her face, Adelheid decides to answer to the plans. "I would like to talk with the members who aren't here. Give us some time to think."

Gokudera scowls, but knowing that the Shimon Family will agree to help protect Tsuna. Before he could say anything, a familiar voice spoke up before him.

"I was wondering what the meeting is about. Ryohei just gave me the ambiguous news about the meeting in his usual tone of voice before rushing off."

The Vongola and Shimon family turn their heads to the voice. Standing by the table was Tsuna who was gripping the strap of her school bag tightly. Most of them surprised, but didn't show it. They had not sense the girl until she announced her presence.

After a few seconds, Tsuna lets out a sigh of tiredness.

"I don't need protection. So this meeting is just a waste of everyone's time." Tsuna said.

But Gokudera shots up from his seat to protest. "No! Juudaime, you are in danger of…" Tsuna puts up the palm of her hand to stop Gokudera from talking.

"Meeting adjourned! I don't need protection and I can deal with the attacks myself." Tsuna said, slightly glaring at the people (but more at Gokudera) at the table. Tsuna spins around and leaves the restaurant, an air of weariness around her.

Fisting his right hand in disbelief, Gokudera slams his fist on the table. "This meeting is not suspended! No matter what the boss says, we still have to protect her! It's the duty of the Vongola Guardians and the cooperation of the allied families." Gokudera exclaims.

At the edge of the table that is near the window, Reborn sips his drink and enjoying the show that Gokudera is presenting with his determination. "Pretty interesting."

Without any more instructions, both families left the restaurant.

As Reborn walks home with neutral face, he begins to think of arrangement that both families were assigned to protect Tsuna.

"There is something about Shimon. If we work with them, I might be able to figure it out." Reborn thought as he continues his way home. The sky turns pinkish orange as the sun begins to set, signaling that evening is coming.

**A town near Namimori**

The Shimon Family was gathered together in their living room and discussing over the matters of from the previous meeting with the Vongola Family.

"Then we shall cooperate to protect the Vongola Family." Adelheid stated. "However, in our own way."

Everyone agreed, out loud or quietly (Kaoru and Shitt P.)

Shifting to a better position on his bench recliner, Julie refuses. "I'll pass on this one. Not feeling too well." He scoffs with a grin.

Growling at the man's easy going attitude, Koyo stands up abruptly and glares at Julie.

"You've been doing nothing all day long! I'm betting you're just gambling and chasing women all day long tomorrow, too!"

"Oh, shut up. Better then getting red marks on every test." Julie smirks, relaxing more into his seat.

"Julie, you little…" Koyo yells as Rauji tries to calm him down.

Adelheid turns to Enma. "What do you think, Enma?" She asks.

"I don't really care." Enma replies, sipping his juice, not interested in the discussion.

"You've got more cuts. Want me to go home with you?" Rauji asks, but Enma declines.

"Pathetic. Ever heard of winning once in a while?" Julie mocks at the red head.

Giving a look of disapproval to Enma for being weak, Koyo decides to add his own cent into commenting about Enma. "You're just weak! You get bullied a lot because you don't get your act together!"

Deciding to end the criticism, Adelheid clears her throat. "By the way, has anyone been taking good care of _that_?"

Everyone answers "yes" to her. Adelhied turns to Enma. Knowing the boy can be clumsy, she ask him to show her 'that.'

Reaching into his shirt, Enma pulls out something that is attached to a string to hold around his neck.

"Very well. That is the proof you inherited, as the boss of the Shimon Family." Adelheid said.

Hanging in front of Enma was a pendant like object with strange inscriptions around it. Enma eyes light up with a Dying will Flame while he looks at the object in front of him.

**Tsuna's Bedroom.**

A sudden chill went through Tsuna. Shivering at the feeling, she does not pay much mind to it as she continues typing away in her laptop.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5: Body guards and a Capital R added to "STress"

"Why are you so determined to save your friends?" A monotone voice asks Tsuna. Tsuna stares at the other; sweat pours her face as she tries to move her throbbing dominant hand to grip Zangetsu. Tsuna does not give a reply.

The other simply stares at her, his expression not changing or give a sign that he's waiting for an answer. After a few seconds, he begins to walk up to the fallen girl. His pace not fast or slow and walks up to stand in front of the young girl. Stretching a hand towards her, his fingertips lightly brushes the front of her neck. Tsuna gulps, expecting him to suddenly shoot his extended hand to her neck and snap it. Instead, he doesn't do what she expected.

"Answer my question, girl."

Resolution flickers in Tsuna's eyes and she decides to answer rather than continue to hear the silence that is surrounding them.

"Because I have to. Orihime is my friend. Rukia is my friend. Chad is my friend. And Ishida and Renji too." Tsuna answers, staring at the other in the eyes and not quivering under his stare.

"Your determination…" The other began to speak.

Suddenly, Tsuna felt a harsh smack to her head and the pain erupts. Tsuna sits up and places a hand on her sore head. Turning to the source that hit her, she sees Nuts sleeping away beside her in an awkward position. Glaring at the box animal, Tsuna does not do anything to him and turns to her alarm clock.

It was ten a.m. and today is Saturday.

Knowing that it was pointless to go back to sleep, Tsuna gets up from her bed and stretches the knots out of her muscles. She makes her way to the bathroom to do her daily morning routine. After she's done, Tsuna went up to her closest to change out of pajamas and into her outfit for the day.

After shuffling through the numerous clothes in her closest, Tsuna has chosen the outfit. Putting on a grey tank top that hugged her bod, an oversized red shirt that was loose in the shoulder area over the tank top and some black tights, Tsuna looks over her outfit in the large wall mirror that is beside the closest. Giving a nod of approval, Tsuna brushes her long hair and puts it up in a loose bun.

Nuts was still snoozing away on her bed and occasionally paws upward at something imaginary and giving a low purr.

"Must be dreaming about a toy." Tsuna thought and makes her way to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Something tells me that I'm going to get a surprise." Tsuna thought as she descends from the last step of the stairs and on the first floor. Turning to the kitchen, she stops abruptly with her left eyebrow twitching erratically at the scene in front of her. "And why do I have to be right about it?" Tsuna screams mentally to herself.

Nana was cheerily fluttering around the kitchen with a wooden spoon in her hand. The Shimon Family (minus Julie and Shitt P.) were at the table eating breakfast or drinking tea.

"Why?" Chibi Tsuna screams, flailing her mini arms up and down in panic.

Noticing that the Tsuna was standing at the kitchen entrance, Adelheid greets the girl. "Sorry to be bothering you, Sawada Tsunayuki."

"There's more and don't hesitate to ask for seconds." Nana cheerfully said to the group.

Raising his empty rice bowl in a princely manner, Koyo asks for seconds and comments of Nana and her wonderful cooking.

"A pervert and trying to charm my mom!" Chibi Tsuna screams at the green hair boy as she pulls a metal baseball bat from somewhere.

Nana just swoons at the cheesy flatters from Koyo and refills his rice bowl.

"Why are you guys here early this morning?" Tsuna asks the Shimon family, trying to remain cool and keeping Chibi Tsuna at bay.

"This is our answer to the suggestion that we protect you, as the Shimon Family. Each of us will take turns staying at your house in order to guard you." Adelheid answers.

"But I suspended the meeting yesterday. This means you don't have to take up the offer to protect me before the Inheritance Ceremony." Tsuna said as another thought went through her head. "Gokudera is going to get it when I see him!"

Appearing to not hear what Tsuna said, Adelheid continues to talk. "The Shimon family feels the same for wanting the ceremony to go through successfully. We will cooperate in any possible way for the sake of the Inheritance Ceremony."

"She's not listening to me." Tsuna thought, but became suspicious at Adelheid's words of obligations and wanting to make the ceremony a success. Tsuna puts on an expression of defeat to push off the Shimon Family in suspecting that she does not trust them fully.

"I'm so proud of you for making new friends with the transfer students Tsu-chan!" Nana exclaims. "I'm all for them staying over!"

"Mom…" Tsuna twitches as her mother continue to act too much as an excited school girl.

"We all came by since this is the first day." Adelheid said.

Nodding to the girl that she understood, Tsuna turns to Enma to greet him.

"Lambo-san has taking a likening to this one!" Lambo yells and sticks a chopstick into Rauji's left nostril. "You can work under me!"

"Ah, thanks." Rauji said, smiling at Lambo.

"Please don't encourage him." Tsuna said to Rauji.

Most of the Shimon Family began to get up from their seats. "The rest of us will take our leave now. The one that will serve as your body guard today who belongs in Class 3-A and is on the waiting list to join the boxing club is Aoba Koyo." Adelheid said and makes her way to the door with the others.

"Let's make the ceremony a success, Sawada-chan." Koyo said, turning to the girl and giving her a grin.

"You have rice sticking to your face." Tsuna comments to Koyo with a bored look.

Bianchi, Reborn and Fuuta watch the Shimon Family as they leave the house, noting how lively it will be until the Inheritance Ceremony.

"Never thought that the Shimon Family would step forward themselves." Reborn thought. "I don't know if we can trust them one hundred percent. But it's a good chance to investigate each of them."

As some of Shimon Family walked through the gate of the Sawada Residence, Lambo began fussing that he doesn't want Rauji to leave and that he should stay to play with him. Nana consents, happy that Lambo founded a new playmate.

Noticing that Enma is right beside her, Tsuna remembers her manners as she will be the host to her guards for a few days. "Why don't you stay a bit longer, Enma-kun?"

Enma seems surprised at the question. "Me…? Is it really okay?"

"Of course. Nuts is here too." Tsuna grins at the boy. Enma smiles back and gives a small thank you.

Just as the two were about to head inside, a loud yell came from behind them. Ryohei runs through the gate and looking irritated as though he got into an argument with Gokudera.

"Where's Aoba Koyo?"

"Good morning to you too, Ryohei." Tsuna said.

"Oh, Sawada. What's wrong you ask?" Ryohei notices the girl and turns his attention to her.

"I didn't ask you what was wrong." Tsuna thought. Her sempai is always going straight to the point as always.

Without waiting for Tsuna to say anything, Ryohei got to the point as to why he's at her house. "That guy left a note at my house saying 'A guy like you can't protect Sawada, so I'll do it instead.' That's definitely a challenge!"

"Wow…" Tsuna mutters under breath at Ryohei for being riled up at the childish challenge.

"But I can't find him anywhere! Did that scaredy cat ran away with his tail between his legs?"

The sliding door opens with a slam and Koyo stomps his way to the other three.

"Who are you calling scaredy cat? Never in time, nor in any season, will Aoba Koyo run away or hide!" Koyo yells and announcing his presence to Ryohei.

The two boxer maniacs began bickering loudly. Tsuna could barely understand what they were arguing about with their loud yells, but was able to hear enough about guarding battle and first place.

"Fuck!" Tsuna thought and realizes at what Ryohei and Koyo were about to do and that it was utterly stupid that they were about to fight off many assassins to see who was the better body guard.

Suddenly, Tsuna feels a familiar reiatsu behind her and her attention towards the two idiots turn to anger at the other presence. Walking to the gate with angry strides, Tsuna grabs the collar of Gokudera's shirt and yanks him towards her.

"Good morning, Juudaimehime." Gokudera nervously greets to the girl.

Giving a look that could send someone six feet under, Tsuna grips the material in her hand more tightly. "What the fuck did you do? Didn't I give a clear explanation that I don't want fucking body guards to protect me?" Tsuna growls with feral, her canines protruding from her upper lip.

Gokudera was too scared to answer her and he could feel cold sweat sliding down his face. Before Tsuna could say anything else, Gokudera tugs the collar of his shirt free from her grasp.

"I'm sorry boss! But your safety is the most importance out of all of us!" Gokudera quickly shouts with many bows of apologies. "I'll leave the close guarding to those two and I'll be patrolling the perimeters."

Not waiting for answer, Gokudera quickly shifts into serious and body guard mode and made his way down the street.

Sitting on the veranda with Enma, Tsuna wonders how her life came to this.

Both boxers were becoming too fidgety at the lack of action. Not one hitman or attacker showed up.

"I realized that we've started guarding, but…" Koyo said, but Ryohei finishes his sentence.

"If there are no attackers, there's nothing to do!" Ryohei said.

Both of them turn towards one another.

"There is nothing to compete with." Koyo said.

"Enough of this! Let's just get down with this and fights with our fists!" Ryohei exclaims. Before shifting into a boxing position, someone calls out to Ryohei.

"Brother?" Kyoko calls out to Ryohei

"It's Kyoko-chan." Tsuna said and noticed that her friend looked worried and surprised.

Running up to her brother, Kyoko gives Ryohei a look of doubt with her hands on her hips.

"I heards fists, but you're not fighting are you?"

"O-of course not." Ryohei said, trying to not look guilty.

"He promised not to fight?" Tsuna stares at Ryohei in amusement and noticed the white hair boy who was attempting to reassure his younger sister that he was not starting a fight.

Nana enters the yard with basket full of laundry and reassures Kyoko that the two boys were not going to fight since both Ryohei and Koyo were good guys. Not wanting to make a bad impression of themselves, the two boxers quickly explained that they were trying to think up another way to fight.

Smiling at how innocent they were (Yeah right!), Nana suggests that since they were third years, why don't they have a studying competition.

Both boxers fell to the ground in disbelief.

Study they cannot do.

"Those are weird reactions." Tsuna sweatdropped and sweatdrops more as Koyo and Ryohei try to look tough and not affected by the word 'study' to appear weak to one another.

Reborn stands on the porch as an idea pops up. "I want to have a look at Aoba Koyo's strength. Maybe I'll give him a test…"

**In a guest room**

"So with that said, I'll be the judge of your study competition." Reborn announces. Both Ryohei and Koyo sat at a low table as everyone else stands to watch.

As cheers of good luck echoed through the room, Reborn pulls two metal plates with math problems from behind him.

"The first person to solve this math problem on these plates will be declared the winner." Reborn explains. "They are super easy questions."

Handing them the plates, Reborn pulls a whistle from his pocket and places it at his lips. "Get ready. Get set. Go!"

"Right then! If it's super easy…"

"In the end, I'll solve it easily!"

Ryohei and Koyo realized at the same time, shocked as they look through the math problem. In an instant, they both collapsed with their heads to the table.

"Brother…" Kyoko whimpers, worried at her older brother's odd behavior.

"They don't understand the problem." Tsuna said.

Nana didn't realize that Tsuna was stating the fact and thought it was the opposite. "No, Tsu-chan. It's the same as chess. They have gone into a long period of thinking time."

"You're wrong Madam. We don't know what to think about…" Both boxers mentally moaned, looking more feeble and defeated at every second.

"Okay. The rest of us will leave the room, so they can have some peace and quiet. We'll come back when the hour is up." Reborn said

Everyone shuffled out of the guest room. Reborn was the last to leave. Before he exits, he turns to the other two who were still looking pathetic. Reborn puts his plan in motions.

"However… If the plates happen to break, then I'll consider it my mistake for not having prepared with stronger plates. Then we'll have to postpone the competition for later." Reborn said and leaves the room.

The words sunk into the boxers' brain and they both shot up from their depression.

"What did he say?"

"So, if we break these, we can get out of this?"

Without waiting any longer, sounds of punching and slams resonates throughout the room.

"If that's the case, then we'll just have to break them!" Ryohei said, punching his plate.

"I hate studying!" Koyo yells.

But their attempts were futile.

They were so busy trying to break the metal plates, Ryohei and Koyo did not notice that there was a security camera in the corner of the room.

As they continued with their task in trying to break the plates, the noise they were making could be heard in the kitchen.

"Sounds like they are doing something else other than studying." Tsuna said, inciting something provocative.

Kyoko blushes, knowing what Tsuna meant and giggles quietly to herself.

Enma was playing with Nuts at the kitchen table, both enjoying each other company.

"They're just getting serious with solving the problem. I'm watching them through the surveillance camera, so don't worry." Reborn explains, taking a sip from his espresso.

"Those plates are made with extra hard ceramic. Even more than Ryohei, I want to see how Aoba Koyo does with it." Reborn thought as he continues to watch the two boxers through his laptop.

Sensing that Reborn was up to something, Tsuna doesn't question him and decides to ask later. Turning to the two playmates beside her, Tsuna notes that Enma enjoys playing with Nuts.

Upstairs in the guest room, the two (idiot) boxers were unsuccessful of breaking their metal plates. Out of breath and tired from all of their attempts, they decide that they need a breather.

"It's no use! They aren't breaking!" Koyo exclaims in indignation as his grip does not relax on the plate.

"Nnn… It's impossible to break this alone." Ryohei states.

"In the end, one of us will have to hold it while the other punches it." Koyo said.

Holding his plates in front of him, Ryohei suggest that Koyo breaks it, explaining that he'll die from his own punch.

"What! What did you say? Why don't you do it? You and your weak punches!" Koyo yells to Ryohei.

A flash of anger course through Ryohei as he didn't take too kindly at the suggestion.

Not wanting to lose, Ryohei suggests another plan. "Then we'll take turns! I'll strengthen my punches slowly!"

"Sounds good. Don't you pass out in the end!" Koyo said, agreeing to the Sun Guardian's plan.

"You better not pass out to the extreme either!" Ryohei said, retaliating back at Koyo's insult.

As the noise continue upstairs, the people downstairs were wondering if the other two were still trying to figure out the math problem since the hour is almost up.

"The noise is still continuing…" Tsuna said and looks towards Reborn.

"It didn't work out. Maybe the hurdle is too high for them after all." Reborn states, shaking his head that his plan to analyze Koyo's fighting abilities failed.

Suddenly, a loud explosion erupts from upstairs. The blast was so strong, that the windows exploded and shards of glass flew to the sky.

"An explosion?"

Everyone quickly rushes upstairs to check to see if Ryohei and Koyo were alright. When the door slammed open, the sight was unexpected.

Sitting on the floor and looking a little exhausted. Koyo held up the pieces of the metal plate. They had done it.

"That wasn't too bad for you." Ryohei said to Koyo.

"I'll give you a tiny bit of credit for that." Koyo smirks, his glasses was askew on his nose and was twisted.

The people that came to check up on them were flabbergasted at the state of the room and at the two boys.

"The plates are shattered. It's impossible to continue the competition and we'll have postpone it later." Reborn announces.

"Alright!" Ryohei and Koyo yelled with merriment and slam their fist together at their accomplishment. But remembering their rivalry, they quickly pull back from each other with repulsion.

"Don't touch me Koyo! I might catch your stupidity!"

"You're the one to talk Ryohei! You're the one with the idiocy!"

"Ryohei's Maximum Cannon is amazing. But what's even more stunning is the fact that Aoba Koyo was able to receive the punch unscathed. Maybe the Shimon Family arent' that weak after all?" Reborn thought.

As the two boxers continue to argue, a huge shadow over came them. Ryohei and Koyo stopped their bickering and looked up.

"The hell of both of you for destroying the guest room?" Tsuna seethes with fury, looking very demonic. "You two assholes are not gonna leave until you fucking fix up this place!"

"Yes Madam." Both boys meekly agreed with fear in their voices and eyes.

Outside, Adelheid saw the whole explosion and began to think.

**Namimori Airport at 2 p.m.**

A jet with the Vongola emblem has landed. Walking down the stairs from the aircraft, the Ninth was greeted by his subordinates and Guardians with two cars not far from them.

"We've arrived to Giappone."The Ninth said with a smile. "I look forward in seeing Tsunayuki-chan."

"That's all you have been saying lately, Ninth." The Ninth Vongola Storm Guardian, Coyote Nougat said with two other Guardians standing behind him.

**Evening **

After Ryohei and Koyo fixed up the guest room with Tsuna overseeing them (with a meat cleaver in one hand and taser in the other), evening had come. Ryohei, Kyoko, Enma and Rauji had left before it became too dark and Nana had cooked up a feast (dinner) as Koyo is their guest.

"So Kaoru Mizuno is guarding me tomorrow?" Tsuna said.

"In the end, yes. In return for your mother's delicious cooking, I'll tell one important thing." Koyo puts down his chopsticks and rice bowl, not noticing that there was some rice stuck to his face. "Mizuno is also as the 'The Hospitalizing Devil Kaoru."

"Nice title." Tsuna grumbles at the extra information.

After dinner, Tsuna grabbed her pajamas and a bath towel and went to the bathroom for a bath. While busy scrubbing her body with a loofah, she doesn't notice that the sliding door had opened and closed.

"Pass the body wash." A voice said.

Startled, Tsuna turns to the voice. "What are you doing here? The bathroom is occupied right now!" Tsuna semi-yells at Reborn, but passes the green bottle over to the baby.

"If we take a bath together, we'll save up on water." Reborn states.

Grumbling that her alone time went out through the window; Tsuna ignores Reborn and continues her task beforehand. Knowing that she has questions of her own, the bathroom was the only place in the house where no one will hear them.

After washing their hair and body, Tsuna and Reborn were relaxing in the tub of hot water as their muscles loosen up from today's event.

Tsuna wasn't at least embarrassed that she was naked and sharing the bath with Reborn since she saw nude bodies of both man and woman as a child. She also appeared naked a few times in front of others when she was kid and overcame the embarrassment. She knew that Reborn wasn't a normal baby and he was actually an adult man trapped in an infant form and that he won't do anything in the bath. She figured it out the first time she meet him. His physical abilities, fighting abilities and intelligence were not something a baby can possess at the age of one.

Silence hung in the air, but knowing that they don't have a lot of time left, Tsuna began to speak.

"You didn't allow the Shimon Family here to only be my body guards?"

Reborn twitches at Tsuna's question, not expecting her to realize this.

"How did you know?" Reborn asks, shifting into a better position.

"It wasn't hard to figure out since you're Reborn. I told everyone I don't need protection since I am a capable fighter." Tsuna replies, but continues to talk. "But for the Shimon Family to willingly to be body guards and wanting the ceremony to be a success, which is suspicious don't you think?"

That caught Reborn's attention.

"What do you mean, Tsuna?"

"They are a little too determined and agreeable to this. And what happened earlier today, that Aoba Koyo was able to survive Ryohei's Maximum Cannon is amazing. Not a lot of people can survive a hit like his." Tsuna answers, staring at the ceiling. "This suggests that he's pretty strong."

Reborn already knew about Aoba Koyo's strength to survive Ryohei's attack. But for Tsuna to mention that she was suspicious of the Shimon Family was something he shouldn't have overlooked.

Both of them said nothing more and continued their bath in silence.

**Las Noches****, ****Hueco Mundo**

In a white room, a lone figure sits on a white sofa that matches the entire white decor. The figure does nothing and leans back into the cushion and closed his eyes.

"Girl..." He muttered.

**Hey! It is I, Peony-chan!**

**Here is Chapter 6.**

**When Tsuna gets mad, she swears and is so frightening that no one argues back at her. One time, when she was a kid, a classmate in her grade 2 class flipped her skirt and everyone saw her underwear. The next day, the kid came to class, looking twitchy, nervous and was afraid to look at or be near Tsuna for the rest of the elementary school year. **

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review.**

**Ciao!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6: More Body Guards and a Capital E added to "STRess"**

**Namimori Baseball Field**

Running towards the Namimori Baseball Field, Tsuna wore a black sweater dress, burgundy colour tights with a pair of black flat shoes. Today, the future Donna of the Vongola was in need of new scenery. Staying at home and being cooped up with a bodyguard was not something Tsuna found to be relaxing and Reborn had mentioned about Takeshi guarding the baseball field at school. Knowing that there will be another body guard from the Shimon Family with Takeshi, Tsuna just didn't care anymore and made her way to the field after breakfast.

Seeing the baseball field in sight, Tsuna saw only two figures and one of them was her Rain Guardian.

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna calls out to her friend.

"Yo! You're finally here, Tsuna."

Making her way to her baseball obsessed friend, Tsuna recognized the other figure. Mizuno Kaoru was standing a couple of feet away from Takeshi with his kendo stick leaning on his shoulder. He showed no sign in greeting Tsuna and his expression was neutral. Tsuna gives a quick 'Good Morning' to the hooligan-looking man and turned her attention back to Takeshi.

"I heard from the kid, Tsuna. You are gonna let Mizuno guard you while you help out with his pitching practice at the same time, right?" Takeshi asks. "I'll guard you too."

"Thanks. By the way, where is the rest of the baseball team?" Tsuna noticed that the field was almost empty and that it was just the three of them.

Giving a small smile, Takeshi answers in his wondering tone. "They ran off when they heard Mizuno was coming."

"That explains it." Tsuna thought giving a mental sigh and Chibi Tsuna just crosses her arms and let out an indignant huff. "The Namimori Baseball Team are good at baseball, but they are just like the rest of the 'not giving a chance' crowd."

"Juudaimehime!" A familiar voice calls out from behind girl. Running down the steps to the field was Gokudera who was looking enthusiastic as ever whenever he sees Tsuna.

"You're here at the school too, Gokudera?" Tsuna asks.

Gokudera runs up to Tsuna, but not before giving Kaoru a harsh criticizing look. Kaoru doesn't respond to the look and Gokudera turns his attention back to Tsuna. A cheerful look spread across his face as he greets Tsuna with a 'Good Morning.'

"I'll leave the guarding of the practice field to Yamamoto and the scary looking guy, and take over guarding over the perimeters." Gokudera declares and gives a cheerful wave to Tsuna and runs off to do his duty.

"You're way too natural of this!" Tsuna mentally yells watching Gokudera as he disappears around the building. "Maybe I should pack my bags and leave a note saying 'I need to surround myself of things and people not Mafioso' and somehow fake my death when I'm a million miles away from them!" Tsuna rants in her head as her eyes glazed over, her mind now elsewhere. As Tsuna continue to stand as a statue, the words 'Must escape!' flash through her head like neon lights in Las Vegas.

"Don't tell me you're thinking up some stupid ideas."

Tsuna snaps back to reality and turns to the two people from behind her.

"I brought along your pitiful friend." Reborn gestures to Enma who was panting from exhaustion and looking scruffy as though something harassed him.

"Enma-kun." Tsuna said, but she raises an eyebrow at the dark liquid on his face. "Is that… sauce on your face?"

"I was having some takoyaki. But a dog was trying to steal them from me and I had to have Reborn save me." The red head boy explains, shifting his eyes away from the blonde hair girl.

"…Okay." Tsuna mutters and thinks that it was odd for a person to lose to a dog simply over food. She passes a tissue over to Enma who gratefully takes it and begins wiping the sauce off of his cheeks.

Reborn doesn't stay behind to see Enma and Tsuna interact with each other and made his way to the nearest bench. "Now then, I'll take a look at Mizuno Kaoru's abilities today."

Takeshi took his position as catcher, ready for Kaoru to start pitching. "Let's get started."

Kaoru doesn't say anything, his kendo stick still on his shoulder.

"What's wrong, Mizuno? Throw!" Takeshi said, raising his mitt in front of him.

Kaoru still doesn't do anything.

Not showing a hint of impatience, Takeshi just gives an encouraging smile to Kaoru. "Throw me a good one and the rest of the team what you're made of. If you can manage some impressive pitching, I know the team will change their minds."

Kaoru just stares at Takeshi. Grasping the handle of his kendo stick a little tightly, Kaoru stabs the ground with ferocity.

"This is just a waste of time." Kaoru states, his expression turning mean.

**Kokuyo Land**

"Yeah! We did it!"

Ken began digging into a paper bag that was filled with food. "It's here again! The mysterious food supplies!" Ken cheers as he rubs his face against a box of cookies with affection.

Chrome stood a foot away from Ken, her face full of bewilderment at the sudden appearance of the food. For the last few days, mysterious bag of foods have been found throughout their hide out with no note or signs that somebody left it there.

"Again from an unknown sender?" Chrome said.

"Chrome, any idea who's it from?" Chikusa asks the eye-patched girl. Chrome shook her head, having no knowledge whom might have left the food for them.

"A pachiko bag… If it's not from Sawada Tsunayuki…" Chikusa's eyes looks around the surrounding area, trying to see if the unknown person who left the food behind is still around.

Hiding behind a tree from a fair distance away, Julie Katou watches the Kokuyo gang as they poured over the bag.

"Hope it feeds the eye-patch girl's stomach. She's been only eating chocolate snacks after all." Julie said as content expression began to appear on his face. "What a kind hearted soul you have, Julie."

**Namimori Baseball Field**

"Do you not want to throw, Mizuno?" Takeshi asks.

Kaoru began to shift nervously at his spot and looks away from Takeshi with a shy look to his eyes.

"I thought you wanted to be a pitcher?" Takeshi asks again.

Kaoru doesn't say anything, but looking more timid now from Takeshi's question.

"Hahahahaha," Takeshi laughs, not affected from Kaoru's nervousness. "What's that suppose

to mean? Then take your time and I'll just wait until you feel ready to pitch, okay?"

Takeshi said, not showing any impatience or that he was annoyed at the other boy's

edginess.

Kaoru was shocked. Despite being nervous and taking up the other boy's time, Takeshi was

being understanding.

"Yamamoto is such a kind person." Tsuna thought. "That's one of his best traits."

After a minute had passed, Kaoru began to talk.

"It's just that… I'm embarrassed to throw in front of people." Kaoru admitted, shifting his eyes away from Takeshi.

"A shy one, huh…" Reborn remarks.

"Like Chad. Don't judge a book by its cover." Tsuna thought, remembering how people used makes rude comments about her friend just because he has an intimidating appearance.

Enma was sitting on the bench beside Tsuna, not surprised that Kaoru was a shy guy.

Takeshi stands up, understanding now of how Kaoru must feel. "I see. You get nervous when people are watching you."

"Yeah." Kaoru replies.

"Then let's overcome the fear together!" Takeshi announced with a sunny smile.

"There's a saying that at the times of fear, one should swallow 'people.' What you do is write 'people' on your hand three times and swallow it and it helps calm you down." Reborn explains to the tall boy.

"I've tried it before, but it never works." Kaoru states, not looking at Reborn.

"How about imagining the people that are watching are vegetables?" Reborn suggests. "You wouldn't be nervous if you thought you were surrounded by pumpkins or tangerines, would you?"

"I tried that too. It still didn't work."

Reborn crosses his arms and slightly pouts at the problem. "At this rate, I won't be able to observe Mizuno Kaoru's abilities." Reborn thought to himself.

"He's sulking." Tsuna remarks to herself, noticing how her baby tutor looks a little unhappy.

A light bulb clicks on in Takeshi's mind. "You know a long time ago, my little league coach taught me some good advice using the vegetable method."

"Eh?" Tsuna tilts her head in confusion at Takeshi's story. Enma was confused too at the Rain Guardian's explanation.

"He said that the reason why it didn't work is because you're lacking the complete image that the people are vegetables." Takeshi further explains.

Reborn hops on to Takeshi's left shoulder. "So then what's the good advice?"

"Well it takes a little time but…" Takeshi whispers into Reborn's ear. A smile slowly breaks out on Reborn's face as Takeshi explains the solution.

"I see… sounds interesting. So why don't we ask her to help out too?" Reborn said.

After doing a quick call and waiting fifteen minutes at the baseball field. Miura Haru shows up and makes her way quickly to the group.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Miura Haru and I go to Midori Girl's Middle School!" Haru greets loudly and bows to Enma and Kaoru. "Thanks for taking care of our Princess." Haru said and clings to Tsuna's left arm.

"Haru, your face is too close and why do you look so red?" Tsuna said, trying to get the other girl's hands off her arm.

"Because I'm flattered!" Haru squeaks as her cheeks became red as a red apple.

"Don't mind the idiot couple. Let's get started." Reborn said and gestures towards a colorful pile. "The reason I called Haru here was to prepare those items."

The group made their way to the pile and began to shift through them.

"Is this a green pepper?" Tsuna asks, holding a green material in her hands.

"Looks wearable." Takeshi observes a white article in his hands.

"Of course! These are the vegetable costumes we used in our school play!" Haru explains.

"The idea is to actually make people look like vegetables to help your imagination." Reborn explains the plan. "That way we can get Mizuno to etch the image into his brain and overcome his nervousness."

"Great plan. But there aren't enough people here to help create a better image for Kaoru-san." Tsuna remarks and gestures at their small group.

"We'll call it, 'The Everyone Wears Veggie Costume to Help Mizuno Overcome his Nervousness Strategy.' What do you think?" Takeshi asks the others.

Everyone nods in agreement except for Tsuna.

"How did it shift from guarding me to the helping strategy?" Tsuna thought. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Some of the costumes are ripped a bit and we might need to fix the sizes." Haru states, looking a bit abashed.

"And we should have a bigger crowd so…" Just as the baby hitman tutor mentions this, a small crowd appeared and made their way to where the others are.

"We come to help out."

"I want to be a tomato!"

"How fun!"

"I came along with Lambo-san too."

It was Bianchi, Fuuta, Kyoko, I-pin, Rauji and Lambo. The crowd looked enthusiastic and eager to help out.

"And now we are the Vegetable Crowd!" Chibi Tsuna cheers, doing a perky dance with pom-pons in her hands.

Everyone grabs a costume and began mending the rips and tears. Kyoko and Haru finished mending their costumes and help the little kids with theirs. Only one accident occurred and that was Enma pricking his fingers with the sewing needle and making a small fountain from his wound.

"Yamamoto… all this for my sake?" Kaoru whispers shocked that Takeshi was going all out to help overcome his problem.

"Come on! We're friends!" Takeshi exclaims and gives Kaoru a grin.

Kaoru was so touched at the gesture that tears began forming in his eyes.

After sometime, everyone puts on their vegetable costume and stood in a crowd beside the baseball diamond and yelling words of encouragement to Kaoru that he could do it.

"I hope this works." Tsuna thought as she was dressed as a white onion.

Kaoru stares at the crowd, not looking completely nervous.

Takeshi, dressed as a corn, crouches down with a baseball mitten. "What do you think Kaoru? Do we look like vegetables?"

"Don't you forget, this image of being surrounded by vegetables." Reborn states in his eggplant costume.

A comfort feeling spreads through Kaoru as sees the crowd as more of vegetables than as people. "Feels like… I'm in a bowl of salad…"

"Right on! Let's throw now!" Takeshi declares and holds up the left hand with the baseball mitten.

Kaoru nods in agreement and shifts his position. Raising his left leg above his head along with his arms holding the baseball, Kaoru throws the round object with a powerful force. A dust cloud trails from Kaoru to Takeshi and Rain Guardian lurches backward a bit as he feels a strong force hitting his glove as he holds his ground so that he won't fall on his back.

Everyone was stunned at the powerful display.

Finding his balance, Takeshi glances down at his glove. Expecting a baseball, instead he sees nothing but a dark stain on the baseball glove. "The ball… disappeared?"

While everyone was focused on what happened in front of them, Adelheid was observing from the stairs near the baseball field.

**Sawada Residence**

"That was an interesting show today." Tsuna murmurs to herself as she enters through the front door of her house.

After the baseball practice, Tsuna helped carried Haru's vegetable costumes back to her house along with the others. Later, before the sun was starting to set down, everyone left to do their own thing. Lambo wanted to play more with Rauji so they are at the playground right now, the girls decided to go for cake and Takeshi and Kaoru stayed behind to practice more pitching with Reborn and Fuuta watching. Tsuna decided to head home feeling a bit tired from cheering in her onion costume.

"That throw seemed so unreal for some reason." Tsuna slips off her shoes and makes her way to the kitchen.

Nana was humming a cheerful tune as she bustles around the kitchen preparing today's dinner. Nana perks up when Tsuna appeared.

"Oh, Tsu-chan! How is your day today?" Nana asks her daughter, holding a spatula in her left hand.

"Okay, I guess." Tsuna replies. "Do you need help preparing dinner mom?"

"I'm almost finished. With so many people staying over, I cooked up a feast!" Nana gestures to the kitchen table where it was topped with all kind of delicious food.

Tsuna could feel her heart being stabbed. "That's right! I'm still being guarded." Tsuna mentally screams at the reminder. While Tsuna laments of her ordeal, Nana instantly remembers something.

"Something was delivered to you Tsu-chan." Tsuna's attention turns to Nana as she waves towards the living room. "So beautiful." Nana murmurs, her eyes looking a little bit sentimental as she lets out a loving sigh.

"What?" Tsuna exclaims but immediately shudders at Nana's expression. How many times had she seen her mom looking like a love sick puppy when her father was mentioned? Too many times to count.

"Go see. It's on the living room table." Nana said and gives a cheeky wink at her daughter.

Making her way to the living room, Tsuna stops abruptly and her eyes widen in surprise. On the coffee table there was mixed bouqet of pink and white roses, red carnations, alstromeria and daises in a clear glass vase. The bright colours of the flowers seem to brighten the room a bit and Tsuna could smell the flowers from where she was standing. Tsuna walks over to the table, admiring the flowers. She notices a small white envelope sticking out from between the flowers and picks it up. Unsealing it, she read the little card inside.

"…"

A blush creeps over Tsuna's cheeks and begins to spread over her face slowly. Tsuna clutches the card in her hand a little tightly as she could feel a warm feeling in her chest.

"We're home!"

"Welcome home! Dinner is ready!" Nana announces.

Tsuna quickly stuffs the card back into the envelope and she stuffs the item between the flowers and out of sight.

Lambo, Fuuta and I-pin ran to the kitchen to take their seat as Bianchi made her way to the kitchen with Reborn in her arms. Quickly composing herself and making sure her face wasn't red anymore, Tsuna heads to the kitchen for dinner.

"How does he know?" Tsuna wonders as she sat down on her chair and her mind wonders back to what was written on the card.

**Felicitaciones.**

** 4**

**A Hotel in Japan**

The upper level of the five-star Hilton Hotel was completely booked. Men in black suits could be seen guarding some entrances of the establishment, but not too many men were assigned so that the other patrons won't be scared away.

At the penthouse on the last floor, the Ninth Boss of the Vongola Family was holding a small meeting with his six guardians.

"Ninth, we received an urgent message from an ally family." Coyote Nougat said.

"They should be coming to the Inheritance Ceremony too." Timoteo mentions. "What is it?"

"It seems they have found the ones scheming to interfere with the ceremony." The Ninth Vongola Thunder Guardian, Ganauche III said with a grim look. "They say they will wipe them out as a gift to the Tenth Vongola Boss, Sawada Tsunayuki."

**Hey! It's Peony-chan!**

**How is the chapter? Sorry if you were waiting anxiously for chapter 6, but I just finished my last exam today. This means I have a lot of free time to write more chapters for 'Woe is Me!'**

**That little message in the card is in Spanish and have fun looking up what it means. I can pretty much guess that almost everyone knows who it's from. Well, gotta go and write the next chapter.**

**Ciao!**

**P.S. Has anyone read the lastest chapter of Hitman Reborn? I have to say, Hibari looks so sexy and badass!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7: Communications and a Capital S added to "STREss"**

"Is she still outside?" Tsuna wonders and peeks through her bedroom curtains. The street was faintly lit by the street lamps, but she could still see the veranda from her bedroom window.

"There she is." Tsuna whispers. Down below at the veranda, Shitt. P was hanging upside down in her inflatable rings and holding a thick rope to keep her suspended. "Where is that rope being tied at?" Tsuna thought.

Just before it became twilight, Shitt. P arrived at the Sawada Residence since it was her turn to guard Tsuna tonight. Tsuna greeted Shitt .P, not startled by the other girl's eccentricity. However, Shitt. P did not greet Tsuna in return and began to hang herself upside down after murmuring a few unidentified words.

"I wonder if she's comfortable in that position?" Tsuna said out loud and makes her way to her desk to turn on her laptop.

"Whatever she's feeling, she sure doesn't show it." Reborn said appearing out of know where. Hoping to startle his student for once with his sudden appearance, Reborn frowns at his unsuccessful attempt in freaking the other out.

"What were you doing?" Tsuna asks, raising a questioning eyebrow at the baby hitman.

Reborn began to change into his pajamas, but answers nonetheless to the girl. "Just a couple of things: flicking the U.M.A's forehead a couple of times, doodling her face, forcing bugs in her mouth." Reborn puts on his nightcap. "And sticking coke cans on her inflatable rings."

"Reborn! You shouldn't have done that!" Tsuna reproaches Reborn.

Reborn ignores Tsuna and continues to talk. "She didn't react at all. I think she doesn't really care or that she didn't notice that I was doing all those things to her."

"Still… it's something you don't do to other people, even if they are different from us." Tsuna said as she types something into the Google search engine. Hearing no reply, Tsuna turns to where her tutor is and smacks her forehead. "It's pretty pointless to talk about these topics with you." Tsuna mutters in annoyance.

Reborn doesn't respond as he was sleeping and blowing bubbles from his nose.

Tsuna sighs in weariness and makes her way down to the first floor to the sliding door. Unlocking it, Tsuna slides the glass door aside and switches the veranda light on.

"Shitt. P? I'm leaving the sliding door open for you. You're welcome to come inside if you're hungry, tired or just need to use the bathroom." Tsuna calls out to Shitt. P.

The Lady Gaga look-alike does not respond, but Tsuna has a feeling that Shitt. P heard what she just said. Closing the sliding door but not locking it, Tsuna makes her way back to her bedroom.

"Now to watch 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes' online." Tsuna thought as she sat down at her desk.

**Next Morning**

"The Inheritance Ceremony is coming up!" Gokudera yells as he quickly made his way to his boss's house. "Until then, I'll protect Juudaimehime flawlessly!"

Continuing his trek to the destination, the Vongola Tenth Storm Guardian remembers that he wasn't alone in today's guard duty.

"The Shimon guard on duty today is that unidentified mysterious animal, Shitt P." Gokudera thought. "Well, her and I are more like steel walls lined up, I guess."

After walking passed a couple of houses, Gokudera reminds himself of some important facts.

"All that's left is to buy a new suit before the ceremony." Gokudera thought. "Families from around the world will be there. I can't make Juudaimehime look bad." A silly look began to etch on the half-Italian's face. "That legendary assassin family, Giegue will be there too."

**Namimori Deserted Factory**

At a deserted factory that is located in Namimori, the site was completely empty of inhabitants as no one wanted to be near structures that can collapse at anytime.

An ominous group could be seen on a roof of a worn down building. The three foreboding figures were the Giegue Family. Wearing baneful white masks decorated with sutures, this made their appearance more threatening and they were looking towards at a small shed that was emitting flames. But the most peculiar thing was that the shed was not on fire.

"The enemy ran into that building." One of the members said.

"I confirmed a Flame of Dying Will. It looks like they wield a ring too." The female member states

"Lately, everyone seems to be fighting with flames." A member mentions in a rasping voice.

"They're fortunate that their opponent is the Giegue Family. It shall teach one or two things to anyone who's planning to interfere with the Vongola Ceremony." The member with the raspy voice declares. "It'll also be a gift to the Boss of the Vongola Family."

Lighting their weapons with Dying Will Flames, the Giegue Family leapt towards the building with intent to carry out their plans.

"Destroy them."

**Sawada Residence**

Gokudera had just arrived to the Sawada Residence. Making his way to the entrance, he was about to ring the doorbell until something from the corner of his left eye caught his attention.

Turning to what caught his attention, Gokudera was startled.

"What the hell!" He yells loudly.

It was Shitt. P and she was still in the same position from last night.

Realization strikes through Gokudera. "Could it be Shitt. P?"

The front door opens and Tsuna steps out. "Good morning Gokudera-kun." Tsuna greets her friend, not fazed at the peculiar girl's weird position.

"Ju-juudaimehime!"

"If you're wondering, Shitt. P-san has been in that position since last night." Tsuna said, answering before the boy could ask what was going on.

"I've tried flicking her forehead, doodling on her face and forcing bugs into her mouth. But she wouldn't move an inch." Reborn explains, stepping out on the front porch.

"What are you doing?" Gokudera berates at his senior. Turning swiftly on his heel, Gokudera turns to Shitt. P. "Hey, Shitt. P! We'll be guarding Juudaimehime together!" The bomber exclaims, but the Lady Gaga look-alike did not respond.

"If she can't even communicate with us, then I doubt she'll be able to guard Tsuna." Reborn comments with a smirk when there was no response from the queer figure. "Your so-called 'U.M.A.' is completely usless."

Gokudera could feel a huge boulder with the kanji 'failure' land on his head.

"Complete rejection of the U.M.A.?" Gokudera screams to himself and he could feel anxiousness creeping up on him.

"That's not true! An U.M.A. can guard too!" Gokudera cries in defense.

"Something tells me that he isn't going to change his mind on the U.M.A. thing." Tsuna thought as she continues to watch with a sweatdrop at the scene in front of her.

Raising a fist and with a look of determination on his face, Gokudera was going to prove his theory. "Just watch!" He cries out. "I'll take all responsibility in making her cooperate."

"Good luck." Tsuna said to the boy and continues to watch with Reborn.

"It's the heart." Gokudera begins to think. "If I speak from the heart, she'll understand."

Raising his head to Shitt.P, Gokudera begins to speak to her in a clear and audible voice. "Shitt. P! Hear me out!"

Unexpectedly, Shitt. P's eyes snapped wide open as though she heard Gokudera speaking to her.

"She reacted!" Tsuna said, surprised that the other girl responded to Gokudera and not to her or Reborn.

"Alright!" Gokudera thought. "It's working…"

Suddenly, Shitt. P sticks out her tongue as though she was taunting Gokudera. She slides out with her inflatable balloons from the cans that Reborn stuck onto her early and bounced over the cement fence.

"She left!"

"U.M.A.s are useless after all." Reborn said, seeing that Gokudera failed to make contact with Shitt. P.

"I-I'll bring her back immediately!" Gokudera quickly yells.

Sighing in indignation, Reborn just waves his right to Gokudera to proceed to his business.

"Leave the guard duty to me and Rauji from Shimon."

"I'm sorry and thank you!" The bomber frantically apologizes to Tsuna before he began his chase for the bouncing U.M.A.

"Having fun observing the Shimon Family?" Tsuna inquires the hitman after making sure that Gokudera was out of hearing range and she could feel that his reiatsu was a fair distance away.

"Seems I'm not seeing the complete picture of them."

"We need every piece of information we can get about the Shimon Family." Reborn said. "Onto more important news, the leader of the group that is trying to interfere with the ceremony has been found."

"Really?" Tsuna perks at the unexpected news.

"Though there is nothing to worry about. The world leading fighting family has gone to take them down." Reborn said, assuring his student there wasn't any trouble coming their way.

"Alright." Tsuna replies, not knowing who the world leading fighting family is, but does not ask anymore as the problem was being handled. Tsuna turns around and makes her way back into the house.

"Once the Giegue Family takes down the enemy, the purpose of the guard duty will only be to observe the Shimon Family." Reborn clarifies to himself.

**With Gokudera**

Chasing down Shitt. P and trying to communicate with her was going pretty unsuccessful for Gokudera right now. Chasing her down many streets and through many places (the women's bathhouse, up a tree and through a Japanese garden where Gokudera landed in a fish pond), this did not frustrate the paranormal loving geek. Instead, it just makes him more intrigued at the physical capabilities that Shitt. P demonstrated.

"She's really quick. She exceeds the level of humans." Gokudera states as he walks briskly along the fence where an abandoned factory was located behind it. A familiar figure suddenly exits through the entrance way to the abandoned factory before Gokudera.

"That's Suzuki Adelheid." Gokudera thought as he recognized the Leader of the Shimon Liquidation Committee.

Adelheid notices Gokudera after she brushes off dust from her skirt. "What is a Vongola Guardian doing at a place like this?" She inquires to Gokudera.

"That's my line, not yours!" Gokudera retorts.

"I'm taking a walk." Adelheid simply answers. "Today's guard is Shitt. P. Perhaps you're not getting along with her?"

"It can't be helped! She doesn't understand our words…" Gokudera growls out as a look of annoyance appears in his eyes.

Adelheid just gives him a cool look. "I think it's the opposite."

That statement caught Gokudera's attention.

"Perhaps it's you who isn't trying to hear her words."

Gokudera was shocked, but still didn't understand what Adelheid just said.

"That's impossible! I've tried talking to her countless times…" But Adelheid cuts his ranting.

"That's not the issue." The Leader of the Liquidation Committee continues. "She must have sent you signals in the beginning."

Gokudera appeared flustered at the revelation and began spluttering. "S-signals you say? Signals… to me?" Suddenly he spots Shitt. P bouncing at a great height behind Adelheid. "Shitt.P!"

Not giving Adelheid a second glance, he dashes forward to keep up with the U.M.A.

Adelheid just watches Gokudera as he frantically tries to catch up with Shitt. P. An indescribable expression was on her face.

After trying to gain Shitt. P's attention for ten minutes, Gokudera can feel that his patience was at its limit.

"I said wait! I still don't understand U.M.A. words!" But Shitt. P kept on bouncing.

"So even if you sent me signals in the beginning…"Gokudera yells, but a sudden realization hits him. Remembering the first day when Shitt. P transferred into Class 2-A, the Shimon guard introduction was unforgettable.

"_My name is Shitt. P! Call me Shitoppi-chan!"_

"Could it be…" Gokudera wonders and decides to see if it was the signals that Shitt. P had sent out. "Wait! Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh!" Clenching his hands in fist, Gokudera raises his voice. "Shitoppi-chan!"

All of a sudden, Shitt. P stops in mid-bounce.

"Did it work?" Gokuera thought fretfully.

Shitt. P took off her sunglasses and turns to Gokudera. "What is it Gokudera-kun?"

"She understood?" Gokudera mentally screams. The U.M.A. is finally talking to him.

Shitt. P returns to the ground in her inflatable rings stands up to face Gokudera. "We're on guard duty today. Let's do our best together."

Another shock went through the Storm Guardian. "She's straight forward?"

"Let's protect the Tenth together and make the ceremony a success!" Shitt. P states.

Gokudera just nod his head dumbly in acknowledgement, still stunned. "Have we come to understand each other?" Gokudera thought, feeling a rise of excitement inside him.

With her sunglasses back on, Shitt. P raises her left hand and makes a peace sign. "Make a peace sign." She said to Gokudera and bends her index and middle finger forward horizontally.

Gokudera copies the hand movement. "Like this?"

Not saying anything, Shitt. P just taps her two fingers against Gokudera's.

Gokudera can't help but think that the both of them, this time, are really communicating with eachother

**Namimori Abandoned Factory.**

The shed that emitted flames was now rubble on the ground. Smoke was emitting from the fallen debris of the shed. But it was the bloody and mangled corpses of the Giegue Family that was spread out that made the scenery morbid. However, one of the bodies was twitching and it raised its head. One of the Giegue Family was not dead and was barely conscious, but his condition was horrible. Beaten and beyond repaired, the Giegue member knew of the situation he was in.

"Ngh…" Trying to regain some mobility in his limbs, the Giegue member flinches as pain sky rockets through his body.

"That female fighter… her ring flames… were not Sky, Sun, Rain, Storm, Lightning, Cloud or Mist…" The Giegue member groans out and tries to crawl over some of the broken debris. "Vongola… is in danger… I … must warn them…" Sudden pain erupts in the Giegue member.

"Aaargh!"

**Sawada Residence**

Pouring herself a cup of tea, Tsuna leisurely took a sip. Noticing that the sky was turning slightly orange and red, Tsuna checks the time.

"Almost five p.m." Tsuna thought. "Wonder if Gokudera was able to make contact with Shitt. P?"

Just as Tsuna was about to pour more tea into her cup, there was loud 'slam' that came from the front entrance. Putting the tea pot down quickly, Tsuna walked to the door with a swift stride to see what happened. Standing at the front door was the Vongola and Shimon Family (minus Shitt.P, Julie, Hibari, Chrome and Lambo.)

"What's with the crowd? And why does everyone look tense?" Tsuna asks the others and grasped the fact none of them had simply come for tea.

"Juudaimehime, we need to hold a meeting now! Something had just happened!" Gokudera announces.

"What?"

**Tsuna's Bedroom**

"An ally family was attacked?" A loud yell emits from Tsuna's bedroom.

"Is it the legendary assassin family, the Giegue Family?" Gokudera exclaims, feeling shocked as well.

"Yeah. They were attacked by the boss group of the ones who were planning to interfere with the ceremony." Reborn explains who was sitting on a pile of pillows. "It took place at the factory property on Namimori 5th avenue."

"That's close by…" Tsuna bites her bottom lip. "And in Namimori." Tsuna thought, feeling edgy that an attack that involved her happened so close by.

"All the bodies were left in shapes I have never seen before." Reborn states.

"Can you describe…" Tsuna asks Reborn, but she was interrupted by Adelheid.

"Do you know who the culprits are?" Adelheid inquires Reborn, appearing very alert.

"No, we have no leads." Reborn replies.

A uneasy atmosphere was in the air. No one said anything. An attack had occurred and the people who were responsible were able to take down the formidable Giegue Family. A few seconds passed in silence until it was broken by Gokudera.

"Don't worry Juudaimehime! I won't let anyone interfere with the ceremony!" Gokudera exclaims, determination burning in his eyes.

"We, the Shimon Family, will do whatever it takes to protect you until the ceremony as well." Adelheid asserts, now looking serious.

"Again? Why so willing?" Tsuna thought, noting that it was unusual for other people who she barely knew wanting to help protect her so badly.

After everyone assures Tsuna that they are going to do their best in their guard duty, they left the bedroom to continue their job. The only one left behind was Enma who was enjoying his time interacting with the purring Nuts.

"Enma-kun… you look so carefree right now." Tsuna thought with a sweatdrop, but feeling a bit envious of the other. Clearing her throat, Tsuna was about to say Enma's name until the red-haired boy realized that everyone other than Tsuna and Reborn had left.

"I'll go too."

"You do that." Reborn said, not looking at Enma's retreating form.

After minutes had passed, Tsuna collapsed on her knees and lets out a sigh of weariness.

"Families fighting each other and killing each other." Tsuna began to talk. "I don't think I'm the type of person who can live with this kinds of life."

"It's pointless to tell me." Reborn said. Tsuna's left eyebrow twitches in annoyance at the hitman baby's non-sympathetic attitude.

"The answer is obvious. The man who grips the reins of this ceremony, Vongola the Ninth." Reborn said and jumps onto the window sill and slides the glass door open. "Take a look. The Ninth is looking forward into meeting you."

Tsuna walks to where Reborn is and stands beside him. She looks down at the street and spots an unfamiliar car that had two people standing by it.

"Who are they?"

"There are the Ninth Guardians. They have come for you." Reborn said, not averting his eyes away from the two guardians.

"They look badass…" Tsuna murmurs, not feeling a bit scared at the sudden appearance of two Mafioso.

**A Hotel in Japan **

Entering the lavishing hotel was kind of awkward to Tsuna. A young girl, who was dressed casually, and a baby were being escorted by two men wearing black suits. Making their way to the main elevators, two more men wearing black suits joined them. Doesn't this look very suspicious?

Not many patrons gave a glance to them and as they continued to do whatever business they were doing.

"Uhh… Hello? We're Mafioso!" Tsuna screams mentally to the people in hotel lobby, as Tsuna, Reborn and the four guards that were with her stepped into an elevator. "But I'm not a Mafioso!"

Ganauche III pressed a button and the elevator began to shift upward to the top floor. The silence was getting to Tsuna, but she did not utter a sound. The elevator stopped with a ding and the doors slide open. Stepping into spacious room that was brightly lit, Tsuna can't help but stare in awe. The décor was simple, but still showed that it was very expensive suite to rent.

"This must be the living room." Tsuna thought and looks around. "Looks like the whole floor is rented out."

Suddenly, Tsuna twitches and turns her head towards the familiar reiatsu. On the other side of the room, the Ninth who was wearing a simple gardening outfit. He was tending to some vibrant looking tomatoes and holding a watering can in one hand.

"Over here. Thank you for coming Tsunayuki-chan." Timoteo smiles.

Tsuna gives a small smile in return. "Good day to you, Ninth."

Putting his watering can down, Timoteo, who was still smiling, walks up to Tsuna and just stares right into her eyes.

Tsuna feeling a little intimidated, fidgets under the old man's gaze.

"No need to be so polite." Timoteo told Tsuna and places a gloved hand on her right shoulder. "When you were a young child, you used to call me 'Grandpa.'

"I don't think I remember that." Tsuna mumbles in embarrassment.

"Did I really called him 'Grandpa?' Chibi Tsuna was busy skimming through files and notebooks to confirm this. A couple of tall bookcases were overlooking her, stacked with various books.

"Let's have some tea." Timoteo gestures for Tsuna to take a seat on the sofa. Reborn hops onto the sofa, sitting beside Tsuna. The four men who were with them proceed to stand at various places in the room to stand guard, but not too far away from Tsuna, Reborn and the Ninth.

Three cups of tea were placed on the coffee table, but Tsuna didn't bother to take a sip. Feeling something clenching in her chest, Tsuna knew what she had to say to the Ninth.

"Excuse me, Ninth? The thing is…" But Tsuna's words were cut off as Timoteo gently waves his right hand to stop her.

"Do as you wish." The Ninth said, the smile not leaving his wish. "It is your life, Tsunayuki-chan."

"Does he know?" Tsuna thought.

Reborn's expression was neutral, but he was listening to the conversation.

"Oh? Weren't you talking about the Vongola Inheritance Ceremony?"Timoteo asks.

"Ah! I was…"

"I know very well how much you dislike the idea of becoming the Boss of the Vongola Family." Timoteo said and continues. "It's not just because I heard it from Reborn. The Sky Arcobaleno told me about everything that happened in the future."

"The Sky Arcobaleno? You mean Uni?" Tsuna exclaims, looking stunned.

Timoteo closed his eyes and recalled from his memories of how he received the information. "Yes… I had a dream the night that the earthquakes hit many numerous areas. A dream of the long battle between you and Byakuran."

"A dream?" Tsuna whispers.

"It took some time until I realized it was the truth. I felt Uni's warm flames in those dreams after all."

"The Flames of Life…" Tsuna thought but felt a bit sad. Uni and Gamma's death had affected her greatly.

"And during the battle, I understood that the candidate to be the Boss of the Vongola Family, Sawada Tsunayuki, was not truly meant to be a mafia boss."The Ninth said. Tsuna's eyes widen, surprised at what the Ninth was saying. Not understanding what the Ninth meant, Tsuna does not say anything and allowed him continue to talk.

"She's indecisive, kind and cares for her companions greatly." Timoteo said with a wistful expression.

Tsuna was too stunned to say anything.

"He's not praising you." Reborn said, breaking Tsuna out of her reverie.

"Shut up!" Tsuna angrily whispers to the hitman. Chibi Tsuna offers Tsuna some silver duct tape, but Tsuna refused.

"However, that is also why the only one, who can return the corrupted Vongola to its original state, is you and only you, Tsunayuki-chan." Timoteo said.

That caught Tsuna's attention. "It's original state?"

Timoteo began to explain. "I'm sure you already heard already. The purpose of the First Vonogla Generation Family that Primo founded was to protect the townspeople. They would fight for their loved ones, but they did not abuse their power." Timoteo seemed to be proud when he explained the original cause of Primo's first family.

"Let me guess. What I have been doing is the same way as the First Generation Family?" Tsuna asks.

"But things began to change from the second generation."

Timoteo just smiled. "I just remember. Will you show me? The new Vongola Ring that Primo left for you."

Tsuna did not say anything but reaches for the item in her shirt. Feeling the cool metal chain on her fingers, Tsuna pulls it out and present it to the Ninth.

Timoteo took the ring and peered at it more closely. A faint, but apparent excitement was etched on the Ninth's face.

"So this is… For you to be able to obtain the ring that no other generation has been able to obtain. That must mean the Primo and I have been thinking the same thing." Timoteo saids. "He wants to destroy the current Vongola."

"What!" Tsuna thought, but remembers what Primo said to her during the Vongola Trial of Succession.

"_To prosper or to perish, it's your choice Vongola Decimo." _

"It's still my decision." Tsuna thought, remembering how she was confused at the words that were said to her from Primo.

"You're the only one who would be able to carry on the Will of the Vongola. Will you not think about it carefully, for one more day?" Timoteo asks Tsuna, the smile was still on his face.

"Why such in a hurry?" Tsuna inquires. "I believe I'm too young and inexperienced."

"It's true that you are still a little young to work in society, but Primo was your age when he started the vigilante group." Timoteo said.

"Yeah! But society back then was a little different than today's" Tsuna protest.

"After seeing you in the future, I was reassured that you are ready." Timoteo said, looking a bit dejected. "So why waste the time."

"But…" Tsuna was going to protest until Timoteo interrupts her.

"The sooner you become the boss, the sooner you'll see and end these fights and murders you hate." Timoteo said.

Tsuna just sighs, feeling a bit fatigued. She knew what the Ninth meant. If she was to become the Boss of the Vongola Family, she would have the power to end these meaningless occurrences. But the only person who knew Tsuna more is herself and she knew what she was going to say.

"As much as I hate the cruelty in this world, I know this." Tsuna said. "This world is not perfect, no one is perfect and the cycle of hate will never end."

Timoteo and Reborn were surprised at Tsuna's words, but she was not done talking.

"But… there is always the bright side to this world. Nothing is always black and white." Tsuna stands up and looks at the Ninth, her eyes not wavering from his. "I would like to think about this before I give you my answer, Ninth."

Timoteo was stunned, but quickly composed himself. Giving the girl an understanding smile and told her to take her time.

Tsuna politely declined the dinner invitation from Timoteo and explained that it was getting late and she didn't want to make her mother worried. Knowing that mothers are always on the lookout for their children, Timoteo sees Tsuna off as she enters the elevator with two of the Ninth Guardians who are driving her home. Reborn decided to stay with the Ninth this evening to talk some things over and Tsuna nods her head in acknowledgement.

The kind smile that decorated the Ninth's face did not leave until he and Reborn began their serious conversation.

**Sawada Residence **

When Tsuna arrived home, she met Gokudera and the others who were standing near the gate of her house. After reassuring them that she wasn't kidnapped and that she was with the Ninth, most of them left for home while Gokudera decided to stay a little longer to guard the house. Tsuna enters her home and begins to walk up the stair to her bedroom. Opening the door, Tsuna was not surprised that Enma was in her bedroom as she had felt his reiatsu when she entered the house.

"It's my guard duty today, Tsunayuki-chan." Enma said to the girl.

"I see." Tsuna said and sighs.

"What's wrong?" Enma asks, noticing that something was bothering the girl.

"Noth…" Tsuna was about to say that there wasn't anything wrong, but something inside her told her to stop. "Can I talk to you about something?"

**With the Ninth and Reborn**

After their discussion, Timoteo and Reborn were sitting on the sofas in the living room.

"Do you really think that Tsuna will decide to succeed as the boss by your sugar-coated words back there?" Reborn asks the Ninth, his expression neutral and not showing any other hint of other emotions. "I believe that Tsuna isn't as ignorant of the actual world as many others."

"I was surprised too. But I sensed that there was a moment when the child seriously considered the idea." Timoteo said and grabs a white cloth that was spread over an object on the coffee table. "It's enough."

Pulling the cloth aside, the material reveals from underneath was an ornamental box that has the Vongola insignia.

"Is this it?" Reborn asks, staring at the box.

Opening the box, Timoteo's expression turns to dislike as he look at the content that was inside the box.

"Yes. This is what has been passed on from the generation to generation since Primo's time." Timoteo said, his expression not changing. "It is the Vongola's Sin."

A small, clear glass bottle that was decorated stood at the center of the box. Wired strings were attached to the bottle to the interior of the box so it would not tip over. But it was dark red liquid that filled the container that made it stood out.

**Hey! Peony-chan here!**

**Chapter 7 is out! This is the longest chapter so far for this fanfic and fingers are really aching right now. But brain has not short circuit as more ideas for the fanfic are surfacing right now!**

**Gotta go!**

**Ciao!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8: Consultation and a Capital S added to "STRESs"**

"I was told by the Ninth today to decide whether or not I want to become boss by the morning before the ceremony." Tsuna explained the situation to Enma. They were sitting at the low table in her bedroom and Enma was listening, his knees bent to his chest. "Ninth said to do as I wish, but I could tell that he honestly wants me to become boss and revert the family back to how it was during the days of Primo."

"Vongola Ninth said that?" Enma asks, not looking surprised.

"Yes. But..." Tsuna hesitated, but continued to talk. "I really don't have a desire to become a mafia boss."

Silence hangs in the room, but Tsuna continued to talk. Her eyes not meeting Enma' s and somehow, she feels a bit of relief in her chest.

"I don't know if I have the capabilities to become a mafia boss and I have no such desires to become one."

"Why are you telling me this?" Tsuna's head snaps up to red-haired boy's question.

"Sorry. It's just that I don't really have anyone I can talk to about this kind of stuff." Tsuna explains, looking a little sheepish. "Gokudera believes I should be the boss and Reborn is practically here for that reason too." Tsuna said, but a small smile spread across her downhearted face. "But you're the first one to tell me to run away."

Enma was surprised at the girl's statement.

"You're the only one that understands what it's like for someone who doesn't like the mafia." Tsuna said. Just as she was about to say more, Enma interrupts her. Somehow, the tone of his voice sounded razor sharp.

"Don't put me in the same category as you." Enma said, not looking at Tsuna. "Unlike your lot, my family has had a lot of scary things inflicted upon us by other mafia families."

"I don't understand." Tsuna uttered, feeling shocked.

"The Shimon Family has dealt with a lot of crap from other families because we're famous as a small and weak family. You could never understand our pain, Tsuna-chan." Enma explained.

"I'm sorry." Tsuna whispers and looks away from Enma, feeling ashamed for making Enma bring up a painful topic.

"But...there are times when I feel that I could be friends with you, Tsuna-chan." Enma said. The confession caught Tsuna by surprise. "Tsuna-chan is different from the other scary mafia people."

"I don't know what to say!" Chibi Tsuna grabs her hair in frustration, trying to figure out what to say to Enma now.

"I already consider us as friends!" Tsuna exclaims, even more surprised at Enma's confession. "Didn't he ever considered me as a friend as I to him?" Tsuna wonders.

Enma appeared to be baffled and Tsuna decides to explain more.

"I never met anyone in the mafia who I can relate to. And for the others..." Tsuna shifted into a more comfortable sitting position. "Rauji-kun is playing along as Lambo's subordinate and Lambo is really excited every day. Sasagawa-senpai has formed a friendly rivalry with Aoba

Koyo. He's been more energetic than before." Tsunsa said with a smile, but continued. "Yamamoto's got a new member on the baseball team and he seems like he's having fun every day. Even Gokudera-kun is really happy that he was able to talk to Shitt. P." Tucking a strand of hair behind her left ear, a bright smile spread across Tsuna's face. "Even without the ceremony, I really think it's a great that we were all able to meet each other!"

Enma was shocked at the revelation, his eyes wide open. But the surprised expression did not last long and Enma's expression returned to his usual one.

"You should just do whatever you want. I think I'd understand you a lot better too." Enma said, giving Tsuna his advice of her situation.

"Somehow, I feel really happy." Tsuna thought.

Suddenly a yell came from downstairs and it was Nana who announced that the bath was ready.

"The bath is ready. Why don't you go first?" Tsuna told Enma.

"You go ahead first." Enma said and gestures Tsuna towards the door.

"I'll go first then. I'll give the Inheritance Ceremony a little more thought." Tsuna said and opens the bedroom door. Before she steps through, Tsuna turns to Enma. Enma perks up when he noticed that Tsuna was still in the room.

"Enma-kun... thank you." Tsuna said with a grateful smile and leaves, closing the door behind her.

Once Tsuna closed the door, Enma grabbed his backpack and dugs through it. Gripping the familiar cell phone in his hand, he flips it open and dials a familiar number.

"Adelheid? It's me." Enma said.

**Shimon Family Hideout**

Grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself, Adelheid holds her cell phone to her ear.

"How are things over there?" Adelheid asked Enma. But Enma did not answer her question and proceeds to talk.

"I know you'll disagree with me, but I really don't think Tsuna-chan is a bad person." Enma said. Adelheid does not say anything for a moment, a bit of confusion could be seen in her eyes. Rather questioning Enma of his thoughts, the Leader of the Liquidation Committee allows him to continue to talk.

"I see... Alright. If you're certain, why don't you test her? I won't tell anyone about this." Adelhied said. "However, do not forget. The 'sin' of Vongola." She reminds the red haired boy of their goal. Without saying anymore, she snaps her phone shut.

**Tsuna's Bedroom**

Enma shuts his cell phone and proceeds to pull a few things out from his back pack. With a piece of paper on the table and a pen in his hand, Enma's hand began to move.

**To Tsuna-chan**

** Right now, I'm being threatened by the mafia group that took down the Giegue Family and is trying to interfere with the Vongola Inheritance ceremony. I plan to go to the factory site they told me to at noon.**

** Please help me.**

** Kozato Enma**

Finished with the letter, Enma folded it and placed it inside an envelope and puts the envelope back into his backpack to hide it from others eyes.

**Evening **

Around 11 p.m., the Sawada Residence was quiet as everyone was asleep. Enma was sleeping in the (repaired) guest room and Tsuna was lying awake in her bed.

Tsuna had thought more about the Inheritance Ceremony and had decided her decision. But now, she had other things to do. Feeling the calm and settled reiatsu in the house, Tsuna concluded that everyone was resting and proceed with her plans. Tsuna pulled the comforter off of her form and she quietly tiptoed to her desk. Opening her pencil drawer open, Tsuna pulls a handless red glove with a skull surrounded with black and blue flames image on it. Yanking it on her right hand, Tsuna walks back to her bed and pulls the comforter over her body. Taking a deep breath and calming herself, Tsuna thrust the gloved hand to her chest.

Tsuna felt a powerful force push against her and closed her eyes. Feeling as though she had 'left', Tsuna opens her eyes. Standing beside her bed, she could see her soulless body occupying the mattress.

"With no mod-soul, I only have an hour before my body starts to react badly without a soul." Tsuna thought.

Without a second thought, Tsuna heads towards her window and pulls it open. Adjusting Zangetsu on her back, Tsuna jumps out of her window and uses the reiatsu that was flown across the air to run to her destination.

**Namimori Factory Site**

Jumping down onto an abandoned building roof, Tsuna looks at her surroundings. Noticing that a particular spot had a large amount of reiatsu that was carelessly flowing about, Tsuna quickly makes her way there. At that spot, Tsuna grimaces at the sight. Torn up and broken pieces of limber and glass littered the area, but the long blond haired girl could see dark spots despite the lack of light in the night sky. Walking around to see if she could find more clues, Tsuna cautiously observed the area.

"I guess the bodies were removed before any of the authorities noticed them." Tsuna thought as she studied a torn up plank of wood. Turning to another direction, Tsuna spots something from the corner of her left eye. Turning to what caught her attention, Tsuna sees small but a lot of puddles. Frowning, Tsuna walks over and looked at the puddles more closely.

"A lot of puddles." Tsuna thought. "There was no rain for the last few days and I doubt that the water came from a broken pipe. The water looks ordinary and I just can't help but feel that there is something too it." Tsuna scrunches her face as she tries to come up with something. Nothing came to mind, but she does not brushes the clue aside.

Seeing nothing else out of the ordinary, Tsuna rushes back home and feeling a bit disappointed with the lack of findings in her night excursion.

After jumping through her window, Tsuna goes to where her body is. Before entering her body, Tsuna checks to see if there were any changes through the house. Concentrating on the many familiar reiatsu, she felt no changes and was relieved that nothing happened when she was away. Without a second thought, Tsuna enters her body. Feeling that she was solid again, Tsuna lifted her left hand before her face; the girl bends in fingers and concludes that there were no troubles after being away for a bit. Taking off the glove and putting it under her pillow, Tsuna pulls the comforter below her chin and her mind drifts off as exhaustion from today's event began to cloud her consciousness.

**2 a.m.**

A pair of red eyes with compass insignia snaps open. Quietly pulling the comforter off of his body, Enma then puts on his school jacket. Exiting the guest room, he then made his way to Tsuna's bedroom. Standing before it, Enma senses that the girl was sleeping just from the breathing he could hear. Unzipping his back pack in his left hand, Enma takes out the letter and pushes it under the door. Without looking back, Enma makes his way downstairs.

Enma exits through the front door of the Sawada Residence as thoughts of his plans were going through his mind. Just as he was about to exit through the gate, a bright light flashes in the boy's face. Enma quickly shields his eyes from the bright intrusion as slight panic aroused in his chest.

"Oh, it's just you Kozato." Gokudera said, realizing that it was the other bodyguard that was on duty. "What are you doing?"

"I forgot all my school supplies at the guesthouse, so I'm going back to get it." Enma replied, not showing a sign of being nervous.

"All of it?" Gokudera semi-exclaims. "Are you an idiot? Fine, you can go home. How come you're not doing your bodyguard duties?"

Turning around, Enma just muttered a small apology and walks away.

"I knew it." Gokudera said, crossing his arms and looking proud. "The only one who can manage to guard the Tenth 24/7 is me!"

**Morning**

"Tsu-chan! Enma-kun! Rise and shine!" Nana yelled from the kitchen to wake the two up. Knowing that she won't have to call them a second time, Nana returns to chopping the vegetables and humming a cheerful tune.

Tsuna slowly opened her eyes and flinches as the bright sunlight blinded her a bit. Rubbing her eyes to get rid of the bleariness, Tsuna sits up and stretched her arms. Before she place a foot on the floor, her bedroom door opened abruptly with a powerful force and the door rebounds off the wall with a loud bang.

"Gwahahaha! Wake up!" Lambo yelled as he ran into the bedroom with I-pin behind him. Unknown to the three occupants in the room, Lambo had stepped onto Enma's envelope with his sticky left foot.

Tsuna just sighs in annoyance and does not face the other two. Lambo jumps and with the intention to land on Tsuna's lap, but Tsuna was quicker and she stood up from her bed. The cow boy lands onto the spot where Tsuna just sat and bounced up and making the springs in the bed squeak with the sudden force. Somehow the letter was still stuck under the boy's foot.

"Stupid Tsuna! You're supposed to let me land on you!" Lambo yells in indignation and flailed his short arms and legs in a tantrum.

I-pin jumps onto the window sill and slides the glass door open. "What a wonderful morning!"

I-pin sang.

Giving I-pin a quick pat on the head and ignoring Lambo, Tsuna walks out of the bedroom to do her morning business. I-pin also left the room and Lambo was still on the bed with a tantrum. Realizing that no one else was in the bedroom with him, Lambo quickly jumps off the bed to continue his tantrum downstairs where the others were.

As Lambo jumps off the bed, the envelope somehow unsticked itself and slowly floats down to the floor. Suddenly a breeze went through the window and the letter flew sloppily under the bed and out of sight.

**Namimori Middle School**

Adelheid had just walked through the school gate, unfazed with the other people around her and was planning to do her usual thing (defeat Hibari Kyouya and making the Shimon Liquidation Committee as the head committee). Gripping her school bag in her hand a little more, Adelheid noticed something unexpected from the left corner of her eye. Stopping herself, she looked towards the group that was heading to the school entrance.

Yamamoto Takeshi, Sawada Tsunayuki and Gokudera Hayato were making their way to the entrance. All three were in a conversation to one another and to Adelheid Suzuki, they looked carefree and happy with one another.

"What?" Adelheid thought, but somehow she knew what the outcome of Enma's plan would be.

**Namimori Factory Site**

At a random shabby building, Kozata Enma was sitting on a platform stage among the broken glass and pile of litter. However, Enma was not bothered with the garbage that was around him as his attention was focused at his cell phone that was in his hand. The large numbers of '12:35' was flashed on the screen.

"Tsuna will be here." A small voice said in Enma'a mind, but the boy could faintly hear it as the feelings of doubt, mistrust and resentment began to block that voice.

The time flashed to 12:40.

12:45.

12:56.

13:07.

Tsuna never came.

As Enma continued to sit on the stage, a familiar figure was walking towards him.

Adelheid walked to the other, looking neither smug nor disappointed that Enma's plan had failed or angry that he planned something that was completely pointless.

"She never came, did she?" Adelheid asked.

No answer.

"Sawada went to school this morning, just as always." Adelheid said. "She ignored the letter you wrote, Enma."

Still no answer from Enma as his head was faced down to the other.

"These are Vongola's true colours. Wake up already, Enma." Adelheid said. "We have no reason to change our plans.

A dark expression clouds over Enma's face as Adelheid continued to talk.

"We will make the Vongola Inheritance Ceremony a success. That is the Shimon Family's only way to restore its power." Adelheid said, her tone laced with significance.

Lifting his head, Enma faced Adelheid. His face was unreadable, but his eyes held a lot of expression.

"I know." The red haired boy uttered.

**Namimori Middle School**

The school was in a quiet ruckus. People whispered in the classrooms and hallways about the serious people who were standing guard throughout the school.

"Aren't they even scarier than usual?"

"They were talking about guarding Tsuna until tomorrow."

"Why Sawada?"

As the rumours spread, the whispering became more frequent; Tsuna thought that the whole school was like a beehive with the noise.

"They are really serious today." Tsuna thought and sighs in frustration. "And I told them I could take care of myself!"

Tsuna was to walk down a hallway until a familiar high voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Have you made up your mind yet?"

"So distracted today. Didn't sense he's there." Tsuna thought and turns towards to an emergency fire hydrant box. The front opens to reveal Reborn.

"Ciaossu." Reborn greets his student.

"You're back." Tsuna said as she tucks a strand of hair behind her right ear and was not fazed at the sudden appearance of her baby hitman tutor.

"Today's the day you have to tell the Ninth whether you'll become boss or not." Reborn reminds the girl.

"I know and I had given a lot of thought about it." Tsuna said, feeling no anxiety or doubts about her final decision that she was going to tell to the Ninth. Suddenly, Tsuna remembers something. "Have you seen Enma-kun? He left last night to get some stuff and I haven't seen him so far."

"Dunno. I came here straight from the hotel." Reborn said, not feeling concerned about an absent person.

Tsuna frowns at the lack of the answer.

"We'll be going to see the Ninth after school. So make up your mind by then." Reborn reminds the other.

"Whatever." Tsuna mutters not feeling worried about today's meeting. "I've already decided." She thought.

**Kokuyo Street**

Chrome was doing some errands before returning to Kokuyo Land. Just as she was about to walk by a bakery shop, a voice called out to her. Turning to the voice, Chrome was greeted by a unfamiliar man wearing a white hat, glasses and a black school uniform.

After a brief conversation, a look of curiosity appeared on the Mist Guardian's face.

"You were the one who sent us the food?" Chrome said as she observed the person before her.

"Yep. Katou Julie, that's me." Julie said as he introduced himself with a humble smile.

Recognizing the name, Chrome tightens the grip on her shopping bag as a small wave of uneasiness spread through her. "From the Shimon Family?"

"That's right!" Julie cried out with glee. "Guess I'm pretty famous."

"I heard from the baby named Reborn..." Chrome said but her words were cut off as Julie interrupts her.

"You don't have to worry about the food Dokuro-chan! It's just a sign of friendship!" Julie exclaims with huge grin.

Cold sweat begins to form on the back of the Mist Guardian's neck.

"By the way, wanna go on a date after the ceremony tomorrow?" Julie asks the girl and giving her a flirty wink.

Chrome twitches and was bewildered at the unexpected question from the tall figure before her. Julie moves a little closer to Chrome and places his right hand beside her head and against the vending machine.

"And then let's run away together."

That announcement shook Chrome to be more alert at the abrupt statement as she tightens her grip on the shopping bag more.

"Unlike the others, I don't care about your background. You don't have a boyfriend, right?" Julie moves closer to Chrome, his face an inch away from hers. "Okay?"

Knowing what she has to do in these kinds of situations, Chrome ducks under Julie's outstretched arm.

"I... No thank you." Chrome answered and quickly walks away without looking back.

"So cute!" Julie comments as he watches Chrome's retreating form, not angry or feeling downhearted at her refusal. Just as Chrome's figure disappeared from his sight, a smirk slowly spreads across Julie's face.

**Hotel**

Tsuna and Reborn exited the elevator and was greeted by Timoteo who was waiting for them. After they had sat down at the sofas, Tsuna began to give her answer about the Inheritance Ceremony.

"I gave some thought to it. I'm just an ordinary person and there were a lot of expectations for me from the people around me. Sometimes, I would feel frustrated and angry at those expectations. But there were times I felt happy from those expectations." Tsuna explained and continue to talk. "But the mafia world is still too big for me and... and I still have mix feelings towards it. Right now, I just want to spend more time with my friends." Tsuna faintly smiled as familiar faces began appearing in her mind. "The people who became my guardians, my friends who are not mafia people, my friends from Karakura...they are important to me and I don't want to get them involved in dangerous things."

Looking at Timoteo straight in the eyes with perseverance in hers, Tsuna gave her final decision to the Ninth.

"I would like to turn down the title of the Tenth Boss of the Vongola."

Timoteo stared at the young girl before him. He felt no feelings of anger, disappointment or resentment at her decision, just a sense of contentment. Knowing that Tsuna made her final decision, Timoteo gave the other a smile.

At Namimori Middle School in the Baseball Club changing room. The familiar form of the Tenth Rain Guardian was sprawled in a heap across the floor among the dark red liquid that decorated half of the room.

The pain from the wound was unbearable and Takeshi tried to stay conscious as blood continued to seep out from his injury.

"Tsun...na..." Takeshi utters as another wave of pain shoots throughout his body.

**Here is chapter 8! Sorry for the wait. When my sister had her laptop fixed, there was no Microsoft word and I had to wait a bit until school starts again to use the computer lab. **

**How is it? Good? Bad? Remember to review!**

**Happy New Year! It's now 2011! **

**But for some reason, it doesn't feel like a new year to me. It still feels like another day or 2010.**

**Ciao!**

**Peony-chan**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9: The STRESS has burst**

"Then let us cancel the Inheritance Ceremony." Timoteo said.

"I'm sorry for the trouble Ninth." Tsuan said, feeling a bit ashamed.

"Not to worry."The Ninth reassured Tsuna with a smile. "After all, it was something I pressured up on you. Ceremony or not, I am sure that you will do well in life. You're not just an ordinary girl and have more confidence in yourself, Tsunayuki-chan."

Tsuna just gives a sheepish grin in return.

"So easy on her." Reborn sighs and feeling a little annoyed that Timoteo was being so easy on Tsuna.

"Remember I have not given up, mind you." Timoteo reminds Tsuna. Tsuna felt a sudden pang to her chest, but it didn't felt as painful as before.

Suddenly, the Ninth Mist Guardian; Bouche Croquant, interrupted the conversation between the two. A look of seriousness was etched on his face.

"Sorry to interrupt your meeting. I have a call for Tsunayuki-sama." Bouche Croquent said. "It's from Gokudera Hayato, a member of the family. He says it's an emergency."

Reborn suddenly became alert.

"Gokudera... a call from him?" Tsuna thought. Bouche Croquent directs Tsuna to the phone.

Picking up the phone, Tsuna asnwers. "Hello? Gokudera-kun?" A pause. "Yamamoto? What's wrong?" As Tsuna listens to Gokudera through the phone, a look of horror spread across Tsuna's face. Slamming the phone back on the receiver, Tsuna grabbed her school bag and proceeded immediately to the elevator.

Reborn was at Tsuna's side in an instantly. "What's wrong? Did something happen to Yamamoto?"

"Central Hospital now!" Tsuna fervently whispered and the elevator door slides open. The blond haired girl quickly enters with Reborn following behind her. The elevator door shuts as it descends to the first floor.

The Ninth and his Guardians appeared solemn when Tsuna heard the news of Yamamoto.

Back in the elevator, Tsuna tried to keep herself calm after hearing the news from Gokudera. Reborn frowns after learning from Tsuna of the terrible news. Just as the elevator reached the first floor and the door began to slide open, Tsuna pulls Reborn into her arms and with the fastest and humanly speed she could use, Tsuna ran to the hospital as quickly as she could.

Arriving at the Namimori Central Hospital, Tsuna immediately proceed to the Emergency Room. Seeing a familiar crowd ahead of her, Tsuna quickened her pace.

"Juudaimehime!"

"Where is Yamamoto?" Tsuna franticallys asks.

"In the emergency room!" Ryohei answered. Without waiting, Tsuna yanks the doors open to the surgery room and went in.

"Juudaimehime?" Gokudera calls out to the girl.

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna exclaimed, but stopped abruptly at the site before her.

Takeshi was lying on the operation table, unconscious and his face covered with traces of blood. But it was the sight of the devastating wound that ingrained itself in Tsuna's mind.

Tsuna couldn't feel anything but numbness as it spread throughout her body from the overwhelming sight in front of her. She did not acknowledge the yells and the hands of the surgeons that quickly pushed her out of the ER room. All she could think of was the horrible state that her friend was in and

it was too much for Tsuna's mind to bear.

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna screams as she was pushed out of the surgery room.

"Please wait outside." A surgeon said and shuts the doors closed.

Tsuna knees buckled as she began to collapsed onto the floor.

"Sawada?" Ryohei yells and grabbed the girl before her body made contact onto the hard surface. Tears flowed down from Tsuna's eyes as she began to sob. Ryohei just hugs her, trying to calm the shaking form in his arms.

In the waiting room, the Vongola and Shimon Family were waiting for news of Yamamoto's condition.

Tsuna was still in Ryohei's arms, her cries and tears had stopped but the numbing feeling was still in her. Both of them were sitting on one of the sofas that were in the waiting room.

"Yamamoto's dad is heading over too..." Reborn said after making a call to the elder Yamamoto.

Not loosening his arms around Tsuna, Ryohei began to talk. "I was the first one to find Yamamoto. I was patrolling the grounds and saw him. The door to the Baseball Team's locker room was left open, so I went to check... and Yamamoto was lying in a pool of blood. I called the ambulance and I tried

to heal some of his wounds with Garyuu's Sun Flames but..." Grief appearing in Ryohei's eyes and his hands gripped onto to Tsuna more tightly."The wounds were too deep..."

"Damn it!" Gokudera yelled and he punched a fist into a wall, his face full of animosity. "I won't forgive whoever did this!"

"We need to ask the Baseball Team what they know. Wasn't Mizuno with Yamamoto?" Ryohei said and turned to the tall guy.

"Yeah. He and I were playing catch ball yesterday, but I left before him." Mizuno said.

"He lies." A voice uttered in Tsuna's mind, but the girl was too devastated to hear the voice.

"I see. So Yamamoto must've been attacked when he was alone..."

"That idiot! Letting his guard down!" Gokudera yelled, the angered expression still on his face.

"Considering they were strong enough to take down a Vongola Guardian, there's a good chance that they're the same culprit who attacked the Giegue Family." Adelheid stated with a grim look.

"It's just as Adelheid says. Which means we still have no clue who the culprit is." Koyo said.

Ryohei and Gokudera could feel that their frustration was not diminishing and they attempted to calm themselves down. They had hit a dead end and the feeling was not good.

"No, there's a way to dig out the culprit."

"Reborn!" Almost all the occupants in the waiting room exclaimed.

"I just went to check the locker room where Yamamoto was attacked." Reborn explained. "I was looking for any leads as to who the attacker was."

"And did you find anything?" Gokudera inquired.

"I did." Reborn answered, not looking happy either. "But it'll take some time to reveal the culprit, and since this concern secret information about Vongola... could the Shimon Family leave for a while?"

"Information of the Vongola?" Koyo said.

"If you let us in on it, we would be able to help you." Adelheid said.

"Of course, if we need your help, we'll ask for it. But for now, we need to have a little privacy." Reborn said. "You lot should be careful too. You might be attacked as well." Reborn advised the Shimon Family.

Just as the Shimon Family left the waiting room, the Vongola Family had calmed themselves down and proceed to listen to what leads Reborn had found.

Tsuna sat on the sofa beside Chrome, her head in her hands as she could feel short, but small waves of weariness in her body.

"What kind of leads did you find Reborn-san?" Gokudera asked.

"Yamamoto left a message in blood, just before he passed out." Reborn explained. "But a good portion of it was covered up. Probably the part that revealed the culprit's name. Someone must've tried to erase any evidence."

"Shit!" Gokudera swore and bit his lip in frustration.

"However, next to that, the letters 'deritoto' had been written in small letters." Reborn further explained.

"Deritoto?" Ryohei said, confused at the unfamiliar word.

"Not a clue, right?" Reborn said. "Looks like the culprit overlooked it too. I didn't get it at first either, but if you rewrite it in Romanji it become 'delitto'. In Italian this means the word 'sin'.

"Sin!" Ryohei exclaimed at the revelation.

"Now that you mention it!" Gokudera said.

"Yes..." Chrome nodded her head in understanding.

"From here on, this information that only a few inside the Vongola Family know." Reborn said. "Sin". "It's the name of the small bottle that the Boss of the Vongola inherits at the ceremony with each new generation."

"Bottle?" Chrome voiced, not understanding what Reborn is saying. Gokudera and Ryohei were at loss too and Lambo was too young to understand the conversation. Tsuna appeared to not be listening to what Reborn was saying.

"Sin" is something Primo created to leave the memories of his battles to all his successors' within the Family. It is the proof of the Vongola Boss. In legends, they say that the bottle contains the blood that was shed during the battle." Reborn said as he revealed the secret of the 'sin'.

"Blood in the bottle?

"There's such thing in Vongola?"

"But why did Yamamoto write that word?" Ryohei asked, realizing something was admist.

"The culprit has something to do with the 'sin'. It's probably their motive." Reborn declared. "The 'sin' is what they're after, considering the fact that the only time the 'sin' appears before people's eyes is at the Inheritance Ceremony. There is no mistake that the culprit will come to the ceremony.

Everyone, minus Tsuna and Lambo, became fully alert at the news. The one that attacked Takeshi will appear at the ceremony.

"Of course… if the ceremony is held that is." Reborn said.

Chrome, Gokudera and Ryohei became confused at what Reborn said. If the ceremony was held?

"Tsuna turned down the Title of Vongola Boss. The ceremony is cancelled." Reborn clarified.

The Guardians were shocked to learn that their boss cancelled the Title of Vongola Boss. No one said anything to her, loss in words at the news.

"I… I'll ask the Ninth to open the ceremony." Tsuna said, not looking at the others.

That was even a bigger surprise to the others.

"The culprit is bound to attack my friends again." Tsuna alleged, her hands tightening into fists. "I won't forgive them… I won't forgive them for hurting Yamamoto and I won't let them get away with this!" Tsuna raised her head, her face full of anger and determination. "I'm going to the Inheritance Ceremony!"

**Sawada Residence**

As Tsuna entered the house, she made her way up the stairs to the children's bedroom with Lambo sleeping in her arms.

After announcing that she won't let the perpetrator get away to what he/she did to Yamamoto and fearing for the well-being of others that are close to her, Tsuna had Reborn announced her intentions to the Ninth. Reborn was now at the hotel where the Ninth and his Guardians were residing to proclaim Tsuna's decisions and her reasons.

Tucking the little boy into his futon gently and pulling the comforter up, Tsuna was exhausted. Noticing that both I-pin and Fuuta had kicked their comforters off of their body, Tsuna also pulled their blankets back up to cover their bodies. Leaving the room quietly, Tsuna made her way to the kitchen. Even though she was exhausted, Tsuna wasn't in the mood to go to bed. Taking a glass from the cupboard, she poured some water into it from the pitcher. Before placing the glass near her lips, Tsuna was suddenly startled from a voice.

"Tsu-chan?"

Quickly adjusting the object in her hand before it fell, Tsuna turned to where the voice came from.

"Mom?"

**With Nana**

Hearing the front door open, Nana knew that the only people to come home this late were Tsuna or Reborn. Putting a bathrobe on, the mother of the house left her bedroom and saw long strands of blond hair waving before descending down the stairs. Nana did not call out to Tsuna and just stood by her bedroom door. Seeing the long blond hair brought Nana to reminiscence her daughter.

Nana remembered vividly of Tsuna's days in Karakura Town before they moved to Namimori. Tsuna was always a tomboy and as a child believed that she was a boy just like the others in the neighbourhood. She despised the most was how people told her of how girls were supposed to be in behavior and appearance and declared loudly to Nana during dinner one day that she will never be a girl.

A faint smile spread across Nana's face when she remembered that day so well.

When Tsuna was nine years old, Nana struggled to recall of how Tsuna became so different. She remembered the bruises and the bandages that were wrapped around her daughter's body. Nana became so worried when ever Tsuna came home injured even though the young girl claimed that she was alright but did not fully explained of how she received the injuries. But Nana didn't buy her lies. Nana remembered the day when she suddenly bawled out to Tsuna and demanded to how she was receiving the injuries just as the stress was becoming too much. She knew that Tsuna was being teased and bullied because of her blonde hair, but the young girl would always confide to her mother about those topics and Nana knew that Tsuna would pick a fight with those who went too with the teasing and bullying. Tsuna refused to tell Nana the truth of how she came home with the injuries and the two didn't talk to each other for the whole evening after Nana's outburst.

Nana clenched her right hand into a fist when she remembered those painful memories. Tsuna never said anything about the injuries, but the young girl began to talk more of a particular topic that reassured Nana more than the stress that she felt.

Even when Tsuna was injured, Nana remembered that the girl wasn't always miserable from her injuries. Instead, Tsuna began to chat to her mother about her friends and the days she spent with them at school, the playground, the soccer field etc. Tsuna also talked more of other friends that were older than her. Nana was worried a bit, feeling that those older friends were bad news. But seeing Tsuna talked cheerfully of those people over dinner, Nana became less worried and learned more from Tsuna's chatter of her friends. During Tsuna's tenth birthday, Nana finally met her daughter's friends. She already knew Orihime, Chad, Tatsuki, Ishida, Keigo and Mizuno from Tsuna's school, but meeting the older friends for the first time was interesting. The older friends were an odd crowd with personalities that clashed with one another, but Nana's suspicion and worries disappeared after she got to know them and knew that Tsuna had made the right choice of friends. Even with Tsuna hanging out with her girlfriends, Nana watched as her only daughter transformed from a rough tomboy to an elegant young lady, but still retained some of her rough attitude.

Finished recalling those memories, Nana made her way to where Tsuna is.

**Back to Tsuna and Nana**

"You're home really late, Tsu-chan." Nana said as she took a seat at the kitchen table.

Tsuna finished drinking her water and places the empty glass into the sink.

"I was doing homework with Gokudera and Yamamoto at Yamamoto's house. We were so into studying that we lost track of time." Tsuna lied to Nana. "Sorry if I made you worried."

"It's okay. Just call home next time if you're going to come home late." Nana said. "By the way, where is Reborn-kun?"

"Reborn is staying over at Yamamoto's tonight. He fell asleep when we were doing homework and Yamamoto said that he doesn't mind if Reborn stayed over for the night." Tsuna lied, but she knew where Reborn is right now.

"Mmmm…" Nana nodded her head in understanding.

Both women did not say anything. Nana just sat on her chair as her head nodded a bit from the sleepiness that she felt. Tsuna rinsed her glass, wiping it dry and putting it back in the cupboard.

"I'm going to take a quick shower. You should go back to bed mom; you don't want to catch cold from sitting there." Tsuna said and she turned to the direction of the bathroom.

"Tsu-chan…" Nana calls out to daughter.

Tsuna was about to step out of the kitchen and she turns to Nana. "Yes?"

"If you have any problems, you can come to me if you need someone to talk to." Nana said, staring straight into Tsuna's eyes.

Taken back at what Nana said, Tsuna felt a warm feeling in her chest at Nana's words. "Thanks mom." Tsuna murmured and shift around and continued to make her way to the bathroom.

**Bathroom**

Just as Tsuna shuts the bathroom door closed, she quickly grabbed her cell phone from the pocket of her pants. Dialing a familiar number and hearing the dial tone for a bit, a familiar voice was heard on the other line.

"Hello? Orihime? I'm sorry to call you at this hour." Tsuna said.

**Hello! It is I, Peony-chan.**

**I have brought you Chapter 9! This was written at the same time as Chapter 8, but I couldn't post it up until I get back until I could access one of the computers at the computer lab. **

**I hoped you guys enjoy it and don't forget to review.**

**Ciao!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter10: Beginning Now**

Explaining to the Ninth of the situation and the plan, the Inheritance Ceremony was taking place today. But the people who knew what was going on knew what the ceremony meant. Tsuna twisted the long, dark red cloth around her neck and made a perfect knot. Checking herself in front of her wardrobe mirror, Tsuna looked carefully over her outfit. She decided to wear an ankle black skirt with a slit up to her thigh, black stiletto pump heels with black thigh stockings and a single breasted jacket with a dark blouse. Tsuna can't help but feel overdressed for this 'event', but there wasn't much choice. Tsuna grabbed a scrunchie from her desk and tied her long hair up in a ponytail. While doing this, the girl can't help but remembered when the surgery was completed.

***flashback***

When the surgeon appeared from the surgery room, the group immediately went straight towards him.

"Is Yamamoto alright?" Tsuna demaded, her red eyes not wavering from the surgeon.

The surgeon did not flinched from the look in Tsuna's eyes, with years of experience; he dealt with this on a daily occurrence. Pulling his face mask off, the surgeon began to explain the circumstances.

"His condition is severe. The worst should be today and tomorrow." He explained, but the man's expression turned a bit grim. "I need to mention this first, but even though we were able to save his life there's a good chance he will never be able to walk again."

The news was something that the whole group did not want to believe.

***Present***

"Yamamoto is alive and he will make a full recovery." Tsuna declared outloud and left her bedroom. The only thing to do now is to catch the culprit and Tsuna knew she won't be kind to the person that caused her friends so much pain.

***Namimori: Castle***

A large property with a European castle situated on it was rented out for the entire day. However, the whole place was littered with Mafioso from many families with a tight security that was on par with the US president's birthday. People were interacting with one another and seemingly having a good time with conversations and refreshments. But that was only in appearance and the actual picture is that many were wary of one another other than their family and if a fight broke out, this would leave a sour impression on the strongest Mafia family.

Tsuna and her guardians stood a good distance away from the crowd and took in the surroundings. The air was full of sound of people chattering and the flapping noise of helicopters that were patrolling the area from the air. The group was tense and the thought of relaxing and enjoying themselves was not in their minds now.

"Wow…" Ryohei breathed and stared at the large structure. "Renting an entire castle."

"It's big…" Chrome murmured.

Gokudera frowned, but didn't say anything.

Tsuna couldn't help but agree with Chrome.

"The culprit is nearby…" A gruff voice said in Tsuna's mind. Tsuna didn't need to be reminded of this. With her attention and mind at full alert, the long-blonde hair intended to catch the culprit(s).

After being greeted by the eccentric 8th Boss of the Tomaso Family, the Vongola group felt a bit of relief. Chrome's illusion of Yamamoto was working perfectly. Tsuna gave the girl an encouraging smile. Their plan was catch the culprit off-guard with (fake) Yamamoto and not cause a spur of rumours going around the ceremony that one of the 10th Vongola Guardians was missing.

Suddenly, someone called out to Tsuna. Tsuna turned to the direction where the noise was coming from and saw the familiar tall blond figure. Dino, Boss of the Cavallone Family, was making his way through a crowd to the group with his Enzo on his shoulder. Whispers and giggles were emitting from the women when Dino walked passed them to Tsuna's group.

"Hello Dino!" Tsuna greeted.

"Been awhile young one." Dino greeted with a smooth expression that instantly turned to a happy one. "Ever expected that this day would come so soon! You make me proud!"

Tsuna just gave a half-hearted laugh while Dino babbled on with a cheery expression. Gokudera looked like he wanted to shut Dino up but controlled himself.

Dino leaned down to give Tsuna a hug and whispered in her ear. "I received the memories of the battle in the future from Uni. Let's have a chat later."

"Okay." Tsuna whispered back.

Out of nowhere, an obnoxiously loud yell erupted.

"It's been awhile! You scum!" Squalo said, a smirk on his face. Bel, Levi, Mammon and Lussaria were with him.

Everyone began whispering, most just gawked at the group that made their entrance. But it was mostly fear and awe that were being reflected. The Varia still have that effect on everyone who caught the sight of them.

Instead of greeting them, Tsuna just bluntly ask a question. "Where's Xanxus?"

"Our boss is absent!" Squalo growled. "Like hell he would come!"

"Oh. Okay." Tsuna said and shrugged her shoulders in a bored manner. An anger mark pulsed on Squalo's head.

"Boss/Tsuna is really not scared of the Varia." Chrome, Dino, Ryohei and Gokudera thought.

Knowing that he'll get in trouble for causing a scene with the shorter girl, the swordsman turned to the fake Yamamoto.

"Voooiii! You haven't been skipping training have you?"

The fake Yamamoto just laughed like how the real Yamamoto would and replied with a cheery "no." Suddenly, Dino and Squalo were beside Tsuna. An arm was around Tsuna's shoulders and she was taken away from the others with both men intending to talk to her.

"Vooii! Sawada! Come here!"

"Hey, Tsuna."

"Great!" Tsuna thought sarcastically. Gokudera was semi-yelling in the background with Ryohei holding him back. Within a safe distance away, the men began questioning Tsuna.

"Where's Yamamoto Takeshi?" Squalo growled.

"We won't pry if you tell us but you can tell us anything. We can help." Dino said, using less aggressive force than Squalo.

Chrome began to panic when Squalo and Dino began to talk to Tsuna. Feeling sweat pour down her face, her confidence began to drop.

"You are doing well." A baby voice said.

Chrome jumped a little. Mammon was floating beside her head and she didn't notice him until he spoke.

"They had to be real experts to see through an illusion of that level. Have some confidence."

Feeling a bit reassured, Chrome muttered a quiet 'thank you' and Mammon floated away from her with Bel annoying him.

After Dino and Squalo had left her, another commotion caught her attention.

"What now?" Tsuna thought with frustration. Tsuna could feel the stress building. With Yamamoto stuck in the hospital and the trying to catch the culprit was not helping her feel relaxed right now.

"Who do you think you are, you brat!" An arrogant thug looking man said with a smirk. Enma was on the ground after being pushed down. Adelheid and Rauji were instantly beside him and checking to see if he's alright.

"Never even heard of the Shimon Family! This isn't a place for brats like you!" The thug-man said haughtily.

"We've received invitations." Adelheid clarified, glaring at the man.

"What?" The thug-man growled and before he could spout anymore rude stuff, a voice cut him off.

"Is there a problem?" Tsuna inquired with a glare and irritated expression. But the girl knew what was going on. Most of her glare was directed towards the thug-man.

"None of your business!" The thug-man growled.

"This isn't the place to cause a scene." Tsuna said, her voice cool. "I suggest you leave those people alone and they did receive invitations to the ceremony."

Not liking how Tsuna was talking to him, the thug-man was about to take a step towards her until one of his subordinates grabbed his shoulder. Quickly whispering something in the thug-man's ear, the thug-man's face paled a bit and he left with his subordinates quickly from the scene.

Seeing the retreating form of the retarded man and his group of lackeys, Tsuna quickly made her way over to Enma.

"Enma! Are you okay?" Tsuna said feeling worried.

"Yeah… No problem." Enma murmured, pressing a handkerchief to his nose.

The Shimon and the Vongola Family were together, after making sure that Enma was physically okay.

"Somehow… the atmosphere feels tense." Tsuna thought warily. The fake Yamamoto was with them and the Shimon Family were the only group outside of the Vongola that knew of the incident.

"Yamamoto, you…" Kaoru said, but did not utter anything but stared at the illusion.

The fake Yamamoto just gave a huge grin.

Adelheid's expression was a bit grim at the sight in front of her.

The Vongolas did not notice the odd behaviour of the Shimon, but the voice in Tsuna's head was warning her.

"He's here…he's here…"

"The culprit is here!" Tsuna thought with wide eyes, but she did alert the others. It's better to catch the culprit when they make their move than cause a scene of panic.

"By the way, where were you yesterday Enma-kun?" Tsuna asked the red-haired boy.

Enma was quiet and Tsuna took notice that the boy did not want to talk about it.

"We must excuse ourselves." Adelheid said. "Come Enma."

"Oh… See you later then." Tsuna said and the Shimon Family left, not giving a second glance towards the Vongola Family.

"You know… we're missing one more person." Ryohei said with a frown.

"No worries. He's here." Tsuna sighed, knowing which person Ryohei was mentioning.

Unexpectly, a murderous aura could be felt.

"It's rare for you to come on your own." Reborn said to Hibari, both appearing out of nowhere.

"Hibari!"

The Disciplinary Leader was not wearing his usual school uniform. Instead, just as the others, he wore a black suit and a grim and unhappy expression was on his face. Tsuna thought he would look more handsome if he looked a little bit happier.

"A student was attacked on our school grounds. I will bite the culprit to death." Hibari declared.

"Now the Vongola Guardians are all here! He's man we can count on!" Ryhoi exclaimed.

"Still, we need to be on our guard." Tsuna said.

"Yes Boss!" Gokudera said.

"Okay. We're going in." Reborn announced.

Everyone headed towards the entrance with a tense and heavy feeling in their chests.

***Grand Hall***

There was no chatter as many Mafioso stood to watch the 10th Vongola Family inherit the title of the Vongola. Tsuna and her guardians walked down the space between the Mafioso with all eyes on them. Walking towards where the Ninth and his guardians waited for them, Tsuna and the others knew what would be presented to them once they reached the end of the line.

"Now, we shall commence the passing of the bottle, which is proof of the Vongola Boss since Primo's Generation. It will be handed to Vongola Decimo from Vongola Nono." A man walked towards the Ninth with a pillow in his hands. On top of the pillow was the box.

"That box is holding what the culprit wants." Tsuna thought and looked through the corners of her eyes. "Where are you, culprit?"

Ryohei, Gokudera and Chrome were also on full alert, ready for any attacks.

"Now the Inheritance Ceremony will begin."

"I won't forgive you."

**Hi! It's Peony-chan!**

**Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'm sorry that it's so late and thanks for waiting patiently. I just finished my midterms and my one week break is coming up so this gives me time to update my fanfic. This chapter is short, but I'm going to make the next one a little longer with more surprises. **

**Also, I posted a poll up. I'm really getting into Hetalia and I was thinking of doing a HetaliaxNegima crossover with Fem!England as main character. What do you think? **

**Next chapter should be out by weekend or so.**

**See you!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11: The True Culprit Appear**

Standing in front of the Ninth and waiting to be presenedt with the Sin was unnerving to Tsuna. There was a crowd of Mafia bosses watching her and her guardians. This also means the culprit was in the crowd and waiting for the chance to strike once the Sin appears.

Taking the box from the pillow, the Ninth opened it and presented the contents to Tsuna. The usual kind smile was on his face, but Tsuna knew that it was not a true smile that the Ninth typically has on his face.

"So this is the Sin." Tsuna thought. The cylinder of blood looked so harmless.

"I pass this on to you, Decimo." The Ninth said.

Before Tsuna could answer, an abrupt loud screeching noise erupted throughout the grand hall.

The noise was deafening and unbearable. Many were covering their ears to block off the noise. Without warning, bombs rapidly went off throughout the room. Many people ducked for cover and were muddled of what was going on. But the some of the people knew what was happening.

"The culprit is here!"

Quickly, the Ninth's Guardians formed a protective circle around Tsuna and the Ninth boss. Their objective now is to protect their boss and the Sin.

A smoke bomb had been set off and began to spread throughout the grand hall fast. This made it difficult for the people to see and what was going on.

"Shit!" Tsuna cursed to herself. "The culprit came really prepared for this!"

"An attack is coming!" One of the Ninth's Guardians yelled.

Without any command or instructions, the Ninth Guardians quickly formed a protective barrier with the rings on their hands.

"Difesa A Circolo!"

Panic was evident in the room, but the sight of the Ninth Guardians ready for any attack gave some reassurance to the crowd. Dino had ordered his right hand man to help others that were injured from the surprised attack.

The smoke was clearing away and Tsuna found that she could breathe a little bit more easily. She turned to the Ninth when she smelled a familiar scent of iron. The Ninth was gripping his left arm; blood was seeping through his fingers as he tried to slow down the bleeding.

"Are you alright, Ninth?" Tsuna asked with panic in her voice.

"It's only a scrape." Timoteo said, reassuring the worried girl and his guardians.

Tsuna felt a bit relieved. Looking at the wound, it was not as bad as Timoteo had said. But she can see something that was broken beside the Ninth.

"The Sin is broken!" Tsuna uttered.

"Seal off all the exits! Don't let anyone escape!" Timoteo ordered.

"We've sealed the exits. We'll start analyzing the security camera footage now." Brow Nie Jr. reported.

"Everything is as planned. It shouldn't take us more than five minutes to find the culprit." Schnitten Brananters said.

"The plan seems pretty good." Tsuna said, but she can't help but feel something is off.

"It looks like the culprit's motive was to destroy the Sin." Reborn said.

"It seems that way…" Timoteo said.

"You don't seem worried that the Vongola heirloom is destroyed." Tsuna said, giving the Ninth an inquiring look.

"Do not worry about it, Tsunayuki-chan." Timoteo said with a reassuring smile. "That was a fake, a replica of the Sin made to lure the culprit out."

"A replica?"

"Yes. The real Sin is safely stored in the vault in the next room. The flames that shield it is made of our seven properties and cannot be destroyed by any weapon or dying will flame." Timoteo explained.

"To have planned this far… you are incredible, Ninth!" Gokudera said, amazed of the well-made plan.

But Tsuna was far from being amazed. A sudden realization hit her when the Ninth mentioned of the safe.

"You said the Sin is in the safe?" Tsuna exclaimed. "The enemy probably knows of this before the ceremony and planned their attack in advance!"

"What!"

"Bad news!" Ganauche III yelled. "The vault has been broken into!"

"What!" Timoteo yelled.

"This is not good!" Tsuna muttered, her face darkening.

"That's impossible!"

"What happened to the shield of seven flames?"

"It looks like they got through!"

Through the yells and questions, Tsuna felt the familiar reiatsus and her eyes widen in shock and disbelief.

Ganauche III suddenly felt a presence from the vault room. Grabbing his gun from his jacket, he directed the weapon towards where he felt the presence. Before he could utter a word, the gun suddenly jumped from his hand and broke into pieces.

Large blades of ice were shooting rapidly towards the group. Ganauche III quickly created a barrier of lightning using his lightning ring, but it did not work. Blades of ice penetrated through the barrier with ease and Ganauche III would have been hit if his comrade, Bouche Croquant, had not pulled him down to avoid them.

Everyone else quickly ducked down to avoid the blade of ice.

"I've never seen an attack of this level!" Ganauche III said.

Suddenly, the broken vault fell over and crashed onto the floor with a loud bang. With the smoke clearing, the occupants in the room can see that there were a group of people in the vault room.

It was the Shimon Family.

It was not something the Vongola were expecting.

For Tsuna, she wasn't as shocked as the others. She did not fully trust the Shimon Family in the beginning and she was suspicious of them when they agreed to guard her. But the feeling of hurt was unbearable to her. She thought she could be friends at least with one of them, but that hopeful feeling was now crushed.

"We're taking back the Sin." Enma declared, the Sin in his right hand. "This blood belongs to the Shimon Family."

The Vongolas were confused. The Sin belongs to the Shimon Family?

"As you now know, we came to this ceremony in order to take back the Sin." Adelheid said.

"Your aim was for the Sin?" Gokudera said.

"That means…" Ryohei uttered.

"No…" Chrome muttered in disbelief.

"The one that attacked Yamamoto… was it you Mizuno Kaoru?" Tsuna demanded, the heavy feeling was hurting her chest now.

Kaoru did not answer or react towards the question, but the silence was enough for the answer.

Red was slowly overcoming Tsuna's sight.

"We needed this..." Enma said and opens the bottle. Tipping it over his ring, he began to pour blood on it. "In order to regain our power…"

Suddenly, something began to form from Enma's ring. It was small, and then it expanded. Rings of orange with black inscriptions formed around Enma as a gauntlets spread over his hands and extended beneath his elbows.

"And take our revenge on the Vongola!"

Tsuna clenched her hands into fists as she began to see red, but quickly controlled herself.

"Why?" The blond haired girl exclaimed. Anger was whirling inside her. Tsuna knew that whatever explanation there is, it won't be able to calm her down. The only thoughts that were going through her rational mind was that the reason Yamamoto was in the hospital and nearly lost his life was because of Kaoru.

The Vongola Family were stunned. Flames of Dying Will were emitting from Enma, but the flames did not appear to be Flames of the Sky.

"T-the flames…" Chrome whispered in shock.

"Kozato…" Gokudera uttered.

Anger was swelling inside Tsuna by the seconds, but the girl maintained her composure. "Why would you hurt Takeshi? He didn't do anything to you!" Tsuna said as her hands in fist.

"He was a Vongola Guradian. " Enma answered with a nonchalant expression. "It was a rightful atonement.

"What!"

"Originally, our plans were to let you all live until the ceremony." Adelheid said. "We didn't want to give ourselves away as the enemy until we obtained the Sin. However, you know our identities and we must eliminate you all. Just as we did with the Giegue Family."

"What did you say?" One of the Ninth's Guardian yelled. "So they're the ones who attacked the Giegue Family too?"

The Shimon Family didn't react or answered. Adelheid continued to talk.

"Yamamoto Takeshi saw the plans Mizuno Kaoru had, and the Shimon Ring."

Hearing that the Shimon Family having rings themselves shocked the Vongola further.

"Shimon… Ring?" Timoteo whispered, surprise to learn of information.

"I've never heard of such a thing." Reborn said.

Adelheid smirked. "Of course you haven't. The Shimon Ring is a great treasure of the Shimon Family that has been asleep in the depths of the Earth. No one knew of it until it surfaced after the earthquake not too long ago."

"The Earthquake!" The Tenth Vongola Family thought in realization.

"That's the earthquake that we caused when we returned from the future."Ryohei thought, realizing that they were the reason for this.

"Orders to protect the grave of the First Boss of the Shimon Family, Shimon Cozart, have been passed down from generation to generation. The earthquake uncovered treasures from Shimon Cozart's grave." Adelheid explained as her expression melted into a stern look. "Seven Shimon Rings."

"And the one key to awaken the rings was the blood of the First Shimon Boss, called Sin." Enma said as he showed the vial that still had blood in it.

"Well shit!" Tsuna thought as she grit her teeth.

"So you're saying that the Vongola's heirloom is the blood of the First Shimon Boss?" Gokudera said.

"Ninth. Is this true?" Reborn question, his face neutral.

"No… I've never heard of such a thing…" Timoteo answered. "When I received the Sin from the previous Vongola Boss, Octavo, I was only told this is war blood that must never be forgotten."

"How foolish of you, Nono." Adelheid refuted. "That just goes to show how rotten the Vongola is, inside and out."

"What!" Some of the Vongola were angered at Adelheid's remark.

"Don't you wonder why no one in the Vongola Family knows what is inside of Sin anymore?" Adelheid said. "The answer is, you ancestors tried to hide the truth in order to throw all evidence of their errors into the darkness!"

The Vongola were stunned. This is the first time they were hearing this. It was common sense that a powerful and huge organization such as the Vongola to have skeletons in their closets. But for the Shimon Family to know something that they didn't know themselves was like a slap to the face.

"What is the meaning of this?" Timoteo demanded.

"So I shall tell you the truth." Adelheid said and began to enlighten the Vongola. "During the First Generation of the Vongola Family, the Shimon Family fought alongside them like brothers. Even amongst the Vongola Family, they were close in standing. When the Vongola made an attempt to conquer all of the lands of Europe, they planned to overthrow the strongest family during those times."

Tsuna frowned, feeling as though something is wrong with the story.

"And in order to achieve that, they cast the Shimon Family as bait. The First Boss of Shimon agreed to it and brought along merely fifty family members to a battlefield against twenty thousand enemies. Shimon lured the enemy out as ordered and waited for their rescue… but no matter how long they waited, it never came. It wasn't long before Shimon was surrounded by the enemy on all sides. And by the end of the hideous battle that lasted an entire night, the First Boss was torn from limb to limb and most of the family had met a merciless end."

"The First Boss of Shimon was betrayed by Vongola Primo and left to die." Enma said as flicker of unexplainable emotion was wavering in his eyes.

The Vongola were in shock after hearing the story. They had not known any of this.

"The Vongola Family destroyed all evidence of this battle in order to hide the truth. As if that weren't enough, they put the blame of the defeat on the remaining Shimon Family. Saying that they lost because of Shimon's arbitrary acts." Adelheid uttered with a frustrated look. "After that, the Shimon Family saw nothing but Hell! They were looked down upon by the entire Mafia World and lost even connection they had. Treated as eternal criminals, they were forced to walk a path that would never see the light of day!"

Timoteo was overcome with confusion and bewilderment. Small beads of sweat were running down his face as he tried to understand what he just learned. "W-wait, I have never heard of that story! I knew that the Shimon Family was close to us, but it's been said that they disappeared overseas of their own accord!"

"Thought you say that. Never heard of it. Don't know what you're talking about!" Julie sneered with scorn.

"How about you, Tsunayuki?" Enma asked, staring at the blond hair girl. "Runs in you is the blood of the First Boss of the Vongola Family who betrayed us."

The statement made Gokudera lash out with rage at the affronted words that were directed to Tsuna. "How dare you!" Before Gokudera could do anything, Tsuna stopped him with right hand raised.

"I won't deny that the blood of the First Vongola runs through me." Tsuna said as she lowered her hand. "But what I don't understand is your story. I don't know what happened between the Vongola and Shimon and I can't find out since it's in the past and I can't prove anything." Tsuna alleged with steadfast eyes full of resolve.

Blood pounded rapidly through Tsuna as she stared straight towards Enma. "But I do know one thing. Vongola Primo is not the kind of man that would do such an act as betraying a friend."

Tsuna's declaration was not something that everyone expected. Enma grit his teeth, not amused at the girl's words.

"Are you mocking us?" Koyo snarled. "You speak as if you met him before!"

"We have no intention to lending an ear to hear your excuses. The ones that have the right to speak is us." Adelheid professed.

Taking a step forward, Enma began to talk.

"The Shimon Family will make a declaration here. Kozato Enma will inherit the title of Tenth Boss of the Shimon Family and take his revenge on the Vongola."

"That… Kozato Enma!" Gokudera thought.

"So he was the Boss of Shimon." Reborn said.

Enma continued his declaration. "I will gather mafia from all over the world and stand above them as leader. This war will be a war to regain the pride of Shimon."

"This Enma I see is not being meek." Tsuna thought.

Enma passed the Sin over to Adelheid.

"It is time to have a glimpse of our real power." Adelheid said and tipped the contents of the vial over her Shimon Ring. She then passed the vial over to the others of the Shimon Family.

Rings of inscription, similar to Enma's, burst from the Shimon Rings and expanded. Burst of energy poured throughout the room and its presence could be felt by the huge gust of wind.

"Get ready!" Tsuna yelled as she positioned her footing against the huge wave of power.

Suddenly, an explosion occurred that pushed up dust as it surrounded the Shimon Family. Pieces of the safe were thrown and were heading towards the Vongola. People quickly took cover to protect themselves from the debris and dust.

However, none of the debris touched them. Brow Nie Jr. realized this and lowered his arms slowly from his face. Gokudera had activated his Sistema C.A.I and protected the Vongola Family from the flying debris and dust with his shields.

"They weren't joking about the power they had." Tsuna muttered.

"Hahahaha! The Vongola Flames are weak." One of the Shimon crowed. The insult riled some of the Vongolas.

"Do you know why Vongola Primo eliminated us, Shimon, from the world?"

Tension began to form as the Vongola prepared for any incoming attack.

"It is because our ancestors had a power that could rival Vongola's, and it scared them."

The dust began clearing and Tsuna and the others saw what they could not believe.

"A power neck to neck with the Seven Flames of the Sky."

Tsuna grit her teeth at what she was seeing.

"The Seven Flames of the Earth!"

With the Shimon Rings awakened with the blood of the First Boss of the Shimon Family, the sight was something to behold. The Shimon Family were sporting metal weaponry with dying will flame emitting from their forehead. The Shimon Family appeared confident with their weapons and their Flames of Earth that they claimed that is on par in power with the Flames of the Sky.

Tsuna and her guardians quickly ready themselves for a fight that might appear.

"What!"

"The Seven Flames of the Earth!"

"Because of this power, Shimon is brother to the Vongola Family. And because of this power, we were betrayed by the Vongola." Enma said. "This flame exists to regain Shimon's pride."

Tsuna couldn't help but scoff at Enma's belief.

"You're wrong." Tsuna said, her gaze not wavering from Enma.

Enma did not react.

"We understand your painful past." Tsuna said. "And the reason of your anger. But hurting others just to regain your pride… you are no better than others who you denounce."

Enma did not say anything.

"Stand back, Adelheid." Enma said and gesture towards Adelheid. "I'll be fine alone. I can take down Tsunayuki and her guardians."

"Huh. If you say so." Ryohei said, not liking how Enma sounded so assured.

"I'd like to see you try." Gokudera said as he ready his storm gun.

Chrome gripped her trident in her hands and positioned it in front of her in a stance.

Hibari situated himself in a fighting stance with his tonfas in hands.

Enma positioned his hands and activated his flames. The rings of inscription began swirling rapidly around his hand.

Quickly realizing what Enma is about to do, Tsuna spun around and swung her left leg towards her guardians to push them away from where they were standing. Without warning, Tsuna was lifted and crashed into a wall with a strong impact that left a small crater. Tsuna was stunned from the force of the impact and the pain that was ripping through her body.

"Tenth!" Gokudera screamed as he saw Tsuna crashed into a wall.

"Boss!" Chrome yelled with panic as she gripped her trident tightly. Losing her concentration, the illusion of Yamamoto dispersed.

"Yamamoto Takeshi was an illusion, as we thought." Adelheid said, not appearing to be surprised. "Did you think we wouldn't see through it?

"Tsunayuki, I almost believed you." Enma muttered with no emotion and moved his hands. Without warning, Tsuna floated out of the crater.

"What are you doing?" Ryohei demanded.

Without answering, Enma had Tsunayuki thrown on the floor with more force than before. Tsunayuki was unconscious from either the pain or the impact. A drop of blood flowed down her face from an injury she received to her head. Pieces of Tsuna's Vongla Ring was lying beside her.

"Sawada!" Ryohei yelled.

"Boss…" Chrome whispered as tears were prickling in her eye.

"Tenth!" Gokudera screamed and ran to Tsuna.

"I wanted to attacked you guys first. But Tsunayuki pushed you away." Enma said. "But don't worry; I'm not leaving you guys out of this."

Without delay, Enma used his flames to lift the Vongola guardians and smashed them separately on each wall, but he wasn't done yet. Enma controlled his flames with ease and had them crashed into each other and letting them drop to the floor.

"This is the true power of the Shimon Family." Enma said and delivered the final blow. Without warning, he increased the force that pushed the Vongola Guardians further into the floor. The force was so strong that it broke the Vongloa Rings.

"The Vongola Rings!" Coyote Nougat yelled.

"How weak, Vongola." Adelheid proclaimed. "And this power is still incomplete."

"Incomplete?" Reborn said.

"The Shimon Ring and the blood of Shimon's First Boss merge together in seven days. In other words, his power right now is only a seventh of what it will truly become at completion." Adelheid said, smirking.

"Let's leave, Adelheid. It looks much too easy to kill them." Enma suggested. "If we killed them instantaneously, they won't taste the pain Shimon has gone through."

"You're right." Adelheid said, sighing in agreement. "We can kill them anytime. What we need to show them is living hell."

The Shimon Family began to leave, but Julie Katou walked up to Chrome's unconscious body. He lifts her up with ease in a bridal style.

"I'll take you along too, Chrome." Julie happily said. "We have date plans."

The Vongola Mist and Owl ring slid off of Chrome's fingers and fell onto the floor with a small clatter.

The wall behind the Shimon Family crumbled, forming an exit for them. But before they could walk through the hole, a movement and a familiar voice caught their attention.

"Give…Chrome… back…" A hoarse voice demanded.

Turning around, the Shimon Family saw that Tsuna was standing, her form shaking a bit from the aftermath from crashing into the floor.

"Huh. She's still conscious." Koyo said.

"I guess you still haven't had enough." Enma said and lifted his right hand up towards Tsuna. Before he could activate his flames again, Tsuna disappeared.

"Wha…" Everyone in the room was struck dumfounded at the girl's disappearance.

Out of nowhere, Tsuna appeared in the middle of the Shimon Family with a whooshing sound. Before the Shimon Family could react, Tsuna delivered multiple kicks at them. The kicks were so strong that it pushed the Shimon Family back.

Julie let go of Chrome at the impact of Tsuna's kick. Chrome was falling, but Tsuna appeared before the unconscious petite girl and caught her before she meet the floor. Tsuna disappeared and appeared before the Ninth's Family and lowered Chrome gently down to the floor.

"Look after her." Tsuna ordered to the Ninth Guardians, her voice not hoarse anymore and with her eyes cleared and her attention on the Shimon Family. Not saying another word, Tsuna disappeared and the Shimon Family were again knocked down from Tsuna's kicks.

"What incredible speed…" Timoteo uttered, amazed that Tsuna was easily taking on the Shimon Family without activating her dying will flames.

"Of all the guardians, Tsuna stands on top as the strongest." Reborn said with a bit of pride.

Tsuna delivered a spinning kick to Rauji's abdomen that left the boy breathless with pain. Tsuna quickly dodged an attack from Adelheid when she swung her arm blade towards Tsuna's head. Without stopping, Tsuna dodge another attack from Kaoru when he tried to stab her with his arm sword. Enma was trying to send Tsuna into a wall again, but the girl proved to be too fast for him to keep up. Without stopping to catch her breath, Tsuna grabbed Julie's left wrist and did a side kick into his hips. Shots of pain went through Julie and he fell to the floor like a rag doll.

"How can she move so fast?" Koyo yelled with frustration as he tried to punch Tsuna. But Tsuna was faster and dodge every punch that Koyo sent to her.

"No matter how much a power a person has… they still can't compare with others who have more experience in other departments." Tsuna said, performing an ax kick to Shitt P's head. But Shitt P. dodged the kick by a hair.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a pile of debris that flew towards Tsuna. Tsuna crouched down to avoid the debris but that left an opening for the Shimon Family to attack. Out of nowhere, a puddle of greenish muck appeared under Tsuna. Tsuna quickly move to avoid it, but found that she was stuck and slowly sinking.

"Shit! What is this?" Tsuna thought, trying to yank her legs up but to no avail. There wasn't anything around her that she could grab on and use as support to pull herself out of the muck.

"Take this!" Koyo yelled and threw a punch towards Tsuna's head.

Tsuna braced herself for the metal fist to hit her. Her kicks were strong, but trying to avoid a punch while immobilized put her in a precarious situation. Tsuna quickly cross her arms to block the attack. But after witnessing Koyo withstanding Ryohei's Maximum Punch without any injury, Tsuna expects that Koyo's punch might be as strong as her Sun Guardian.

"Tsuna-chan!" Timoteo yelled, panic etched on his face.

Tsuna fleetingly saw that Koyo's fist was about to connect to her head, but then she felt a puff of hot hair on her left ear.

"How annoying." A familiar voice uttered. Unexpectedly, a dust cloud formed around Tsuna and the Shimon Family.

"What is this? What is going on?" One of the Ninth's Guardians exclaimed. The dust was so thick that none of them can see what was going on.

"What trick is this?" Adelheid yelled, trying to wave off the dust from her face.

"Shit!" Koyo exclaimed. "I can't move my arm! Something is grabbing it!"

The dust began settling down, and the occupants in the room can now slowly see what was happening.

The Shimon Family were stunned at what they were seeing when the dust cleared up.

"It's you…" Tsuna whispered, clearly shocked to see the person in front of her.

Ulquiorra Schiffer was standing before Tsuna, his back to her face. He was holding a grip onto Koyo's wrist before his fist could connect to Tsuna's head. In the years that they hadn't seen each other, Ulquoirra's appearance had not changed a bit. He was still wearing his white Espada clothing with his sword beside him. His face was still stoic with black tear marks and with pale skin, not light gray. The only difference about him is that he didn't have was his white bone mask attacked to his head. All in all, Ulquiorra appeared… human.

"A mistake you could have avoided." Ulquiorra said, not looking towards Tsuna. "You were about to be wounded by a piece of trash."

Ulquiorra threw Koyo back with practice ease as the green haired boy flew towards the wall with such a force that left a mini crater.

"It's been awhile, girl." Ulquiorra said as he turns to face Tsuna.

"He's as forceful as usual." Tsuna thought.

**Hey there!**

**It's Peony-chan!**

**The first thing I want to do is say sorry for the late update. But I have a reason! So much school work and studies that I have to do.**

**So again, really really really sorry.**

**The next update will probably be in a few days.**

**Ciao!**


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